Tropical Scientist Advocates Alcohol Motor Fuel. Making motor alcohol from molasses and the juice of the sugar palm is now only n matter of cast because technical difficulties in the manufacture as well as in the use of the fuel by standard automobile engines have been solved, J. P. Foster, chief chemist of the Maui Agricultural Company's sugar factory in Hawaii, told the 70th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society meeting here this morning. The advantages of this new motor fuel are said t o he easy starting, elimination of knocking and freedom from carbon troubles. The alcohol is denatured by the use of ammonia, pyridine or aniline which also neutralize the acidity of the fuel and the substances left over atter burning.-Science Seruice Colleges Blamed for Students' Failure. When a student "flunks from college" or university, whose fault is it? Heretofore the failing student has usually been allowed t o drop out of his classes for six months or a year t o loaf or work, then return with' "his deficiencies remedied." Experiments conducted this spring by Franklin C. Paschal, professor of psychology and dean of men a t the University of Arizona, lead Professor Paschal to lay most of the blame on the institutions. He reclaimed 80 per cent of a group of failing students without any loss of class time. Professor Paschal selected 25 students from 80 who had failed in 50 per cent of their college work. These students we& given provisional registration and allowed to register for a maximum of 121/2 units. Thgy were required t o present themselves three afternoons a week for supervised study. As a result, 20 were saved. Lack of adequate high-school preparation and lack of knowing how to study were found t o be the most frequent causes of failure. Laziness, Dean Paschal said, is only a symptom. Other causes were extracurricular activities, financial difficulties and general inability to carry a university program.-Science Service ~
