October 1860 WALTER J. MURPHY, EDITOR
Toward Unity federation of peaceful nations would become a reality. in its essential spirit knows no national Copies of INDTJSTFUAL AND ENGINEER- Our generation faces the challenge of this final objective; its achievement would stand as one of ma CHBMISTY flow to subscribers in such places as the the greatest victories in the entire history of mankind. Persian Gulf, India, Scandanavia, the Latin American The laws of compensation seem to demand that no countries, Spain, Russia, and Pacific Oceans. Nor is the great accomplishment is possible without corresponding flow of technical information merely in one direction. risks. Bravery of a high order will be required if we Reviews, such as the Unit Processes feature of our are to master the huge problem that faces us today. September issue and our Materials of Construction Until the Korean conflict arose, the United Nations survey in this number, prove the value American techfunctioned as an international debating soeiety, and nology derives from reports that are available in this distressing parallels could be drawn with the League of country on significant investigations conducted in every Nations, which was ineffective in coping with the militechnically active nation in the world. tary transgressions of its time. Today, the UN calls for The appalling waste of war, with its calculated dedirect military assistance from its member nations to struction of human lives and its devastation of living stamp out the North Korean aggression on the basis that standards, is sickening to contemplate. One small fracarmed attack as a method of settling international distion of the damage wrought by mankind’s greatest putes is a crime against society that must be put down. plague is the blocking of free scientific interchange, The United Nations probably will stand or fall by that slowing the scientist’s progress toward a better underdecision. If it €a&, the reason will be the failure of its standing and control of the means for advancing our member nations to make the hard, hazardous decision physical welfare-the very lifeblood of the scientist’s to risk their individual fortunes in the cause of interprofessional aspirations. Our hearts are heavy when we national order. They must show they are prepared to hear the war drums rattle and roll once more in the unfight for peace. What is urgently needed is an overfamiliar lands of the Far East. We have no right to claim any authority in the whelming majority of nations willing to make an immediate national commitment to the principle that law political issues of this era. But as common citizens of and order must be enforced if it is to be maintained. today’s sick world we have the deep personal conviction Effective support now of the UN’s position should that our planet is too small for human institutions to survive if the present conflict lasts for long. We must bring the Korean incident to an early conclusion. The logical and desirable sequel would be the establishment achieve unity. And we must find a solution that preof a permanent military “task force,” specifically deserves the essential dignity of the individual and persigned and adequate in siw to control promptly the mits him to live in harmony with his neighbor. Our tentative military adventures of nations testing the scientific progress has been so tremendous that if political peace wera secured we would find ourselves international atmosphere. We must create a situation trembling on the brink of an age where hunger, want, in which it would be folly to launch any future Ethiopian conquests, Manchurian incidents, or marches on the and disease might be virtually banished from the earth during the life span of those now living. Rhine. Such a solution seems to us the only reasonable hope for the orderly evolution of a permanent peace. Unity might come in several ways. One alternative, almost unbearably painful to contemplate, is a third We repeat once more that these thoughts are preworld war. Another, which appears ever more hopesented with no pretense of authority. They are rather the ideas of one individual who is deeply concerned lessly unrealistic, is a world-wide political integration at the conference table. A third is.the establishment of an about the greatest problem of our time. We do not ask effective international police force operating under the that our conclusions be accepted. But we do think it is United Nations to smother the outbreaks of armed agyour impelling obligation, if you feel a responsibility to your neighbor, to accept the challenge to do your gression before they become global holocausts. With most to find the solution. And when you have formed such a force in existence, the terrible arts of war might your opinions we urge YOU to act. atrophy. The time should eventually arrive when a CIENCE
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