Evening star., 1911-08-27
DEFENSE BY REMSEN
Saws Referee Board Sought
Only Scientific Truths.
TELLS OF APPOINTMENTS
Came to Washington at President
Roosevelt's Request.
TASK NOT A LIGHT ONE
Members Labored Hard, With Pub
lie Good the Only Object in View.
One Death Resulted.
TELLS OF APPOINTMENTS
TASK NOT A LIGHT ONE

A defense of the referee board. popular
" known as the Remsen board. which
has been involved in the investigation OF
Dr. II. W. Wileys enforcement OF the
pure food law, is made by Prof. Ira
Remsen. chairman of the board and presi-
dent of Johns Hopkins University, In the
current issue of the Scientific American.
DIR Remsen gives a detailed account Of
the appointment of the board by Presi-
dent Roosevelt He declares the honesty
of the boards work in vigorous terms and
attributes the attacks which have been
made upon the board to political maneu-
vering. He says
In January, 1908. the writer received a
letter from President Roosevelt the es-
sential part of which follows:
I'VE have reached a point in the en-
forcement of the pure food and drugs
act where IT has become necessary tnat
some scientific questions shall be settled.
For this purpose, have decided that we
shall have a referee board of five men,
bers, eminent medical men or physiolo-
gical chemists. The Secretary of Agri-
culture will certify to this board each
question upon which he desires final
determination. Only those questions will
be referred to the board concerning which
there exists a serious difference of opin-
lon among eminent authorities
The board will have full authority to
make all experiments necessary to reach
a decision upon the questions submitted.
secretary of the board and other cler-
ical help will be provided and the ex-
penses incident to the investigation will
be paid.
High-Class Men Wanted.
"a 1T is my desire to secure men of such
high character and attainments that
when the referee board speaks it will be
the final word on the subject so far as
the United States is concerned. The ques- |
tions now pressing for solution, which |
will probably be referred to the board |
Immediately, are, whether sulphur diox |
ide and benzoate of soda are harmful in /
foods. The board will enjoy the greatest l
independence. The government will cert
ify the questions and the board will work
out the answers in its own way, free I
from hampefing influence of any kind.
Perhaps YOU know one or two men |
who are available. If so, / ask that you |
will write me fully about them: also that
you will ascertain If their services may |
be secured all, of course. in confiden- |
tial and tentative way. Prompt action is |
necessary in this matter, as the board |
will be appointed within a very short |
time
Having taken counsel with my col |
league, DR.. William H. Welch. l wrote |
the President. January II. making some |
suggestions. On the list the President |
wrote me. as follows:
Won't YOU accept the presidency or |
chairmanship of that committee of Ave? |
You are the very man | would most like |
to have on 1t. II you will accept l will |
later get you to come over TO see me- so |
that | may have the chance of talking |
the matter over at some length with you.
Willing to Accept Offer.
ION the 23d I answered thus:
II have given careful consideration to
your suggestion and am now prepared |
TO say that if after a conference with |
you the matter should present itself to |
me il now does, and / should find ii |
possible 10 give the necessary time to |
the work, shoyld be strongly inclined |
TO accept your offer.
IF you will appoint a time for an in
terview, 1 shall be glad to call on you |
and talk the subject over
''On the 9th l went to the White |
House and had very satisfactory talk |
with the President. He urged me to
accept the Craftsmanship he had offered |
and added. L want you to start this |
work and get II under way. If you should |
find it too great a burden you can, of |
course. withdraw later.
Everything he said showed clearly |
that the only object he had in view was |
to find out what the truth Is as far as
this might be possible. The talk between |
us was on the highest possible plane
refreshingly so. l accepted. and then at
the Presidents suggestion | called on
Secretary Wilson, as everything pertain |
ing to the pure food and drugs act falls |
within the jurisdiction Of the Department
Of Agriculture. My talk with the Secre-
tary was as satisfactory as that with
the President. Ii clear that the
board was TO be absolutely free from all
external infience. that it was to work
in tie hs in, Fuat
the air. And let me say here, now
that the board has been in existence for
over three years and has had a some
what stormy time. that President Roose-
welt and President Taft. as Well as Secre-
tary Wilson. have allowed us to work
without the slightest interference. Our
relations have, naturally, been closest
with the Secretary and. as chairman nv
relations with the Secretary have been
particularly close. and 1t Is a great pleas
ure to me TO testify to his uniform
courtesy and to the fine attitude he has
taken toward our work from the begin
ming of our service TO the present. Moth
ing could have been finer.
Selected Other Members.
Now. about the appointment of the
other members of the board The
President turned over TO me all the
papers in his possession bearing on
this subject. and then IL appeared that
he had written to four or fve other
university presidents a letter similar
to the one quoted at the beginning of
this article and that these gentlemen
had made some recommendations. The
President said TO me. you need not be
Influenced by these suggestions Select
the men you think best and / will see
that they are appointed After an
other conference with Dr. welch I told
the President that I should like to
have appointed DIR. r. II. Chittenden,
director of the Sheffield Scientific
School of Yale University and profess
sor of physiological chemistry therein;
DR.. J. II. Long. professor of chemistry
in the medical school of Northwestern
University; DIR. c. a. Herter. professor
of pharmacology and therapeutics in
the College of Physicians and Sur