The Washington herald., 1912-01-31

/ up my newspaper In the morning and
look for kilograms from home 1 some
| times fnd some German penny-a-iineI
| quoted. and when 1 look on 10 see why
| no Importance at all in Germany, should
be cabled to America, 1 almost invariably
1 dnd that Il Is because the writer in ques-
tfon has said something disagreeable
/ about the United States or its institu-
| tions. II seems TO me that the money
for such cables is, TO say the least,
wasted.
my few remarks win have shown you
that 1 consider the celebrated American
author not far from wrong. who said that
he compared the press to cereal grains,
which are ordinarily the nutriment OF
| life but which sometimes are perverted
| bv distiIlation into poisonous liquors.
VIcfor Herbert and Henry Xander were
| paxt nrasented TO the assembly. the two
artists delighting everybody with an
! ideal rendition OF several musical selec-
tions.
Herbert "Comes Back"
Victor Herbert, composer Of the grand
opera ''Natoma," and many of the most
successful comic operas OF the American
stage. appeared for the first time In
twelve years a a cello soloist. In the
SOS he was recognized as the fore
most 'cellist of this country, but the press
of his duties as an orchestral leader and
composer caused him to abandon the solo
instrument. He confessed last night that
when he received the invitation to appear
before the National Press Club as a
lobbyist he began practicing at once, so
that when he walked into the clubs
assembly room, carrying his wonderful
Ruggieri instrument. he was once more
master.
Mr.. Herbert chose as his opening se-
lection Saint-Saens' lie Cynge, which
was given with wonderful clarity OF tone
and limpidIty. His technique failed to
reflect the years during which his bow
has been idle. The swan of the French
composers Imagination seemed literally
to fiutter over the strings. The second
number was a Scherzo by Van Gaens,
which showed the resource and the digi-
tai dexterity of the true virtuoso.
The closing selection carried with its
lifting strains a sentimental interest. for
It was a composition by Mr.. Herberts
grandfather, samuel Lover. 1t was the
familiar THE Low Backd Car"
Accompanied by Xander.
Mr.. Herbert was accompanied by Henry
Xander. the Washington pianist, and
former president OF the Washington
saengerbund. who was a fellow-student
with Mr. Herbert at the Stuttgart Con-
servatory in Germany in he SOS.
Although Mr.. Herbert has listened 10
enthusiastic applause from audiences
which have sat under the speh OF his
melodies in ''The Serenade," The For
tune Teller. Babes in Toyland." mile.
Modiste.'' The Red MIL" "Nauihty
Marietta" and ''The Enchantress." Il Is
doubtful II he has ever received a more
demonstrative recognition OF his musi-
ctanship than at the hands Of the news
paper men, Applause was punctuated by
'bravos" for the man. who in the un-
musical language OF the day, can come
back with the cello in as great form
as when he laid IL aside for the more
remunerative branches OF his art.
DR. Stratton, of the Bureau OF Stand
ards, was the next speaker, and the
man Of weight and measures said in part:
StrattOn on Standards.
DR.. stratton started of by promising
that ''the subject of standards at best Is
a very dry and unintsrestIng one, even in
the hands Of a good speaker, which am
not" Then he said In part:
'At the beginning OF our government
the superintendent Of the Coast Survey,
the only scientific bureau in the govern
ment, in fact, the first one, purchased
from a London instrument maker a yard
stick and a standard OF length. He need
ed It in establishing the Coast and Geo.
detic surveys. A little later the secre-
tary Of the Treasury secured from Eng
land Troy pound. From this he made
the avoirdupois pound and he adopted
the gallon and Winchester bushel which
was then in use in the colonies, for use
in the custom-houses. That is the his
tory Of our early standards.
In $50 or $50 the British standard of
length was burned. and in constructing
a new one from the best copies Of the
old one they made an extra copy and
gave IL to US, and that was our standard
until perhaps 1890.
'In 1872 the representatives of twenty
one governments met in convention at
Paris and established the International
Bureau OF Weights and Measures. They
gave to this bureau the task Of preparing
international standards OF length in
mass, or weight, as IT is commonly called
They prepared enough standard meters
and enough Kilograms to give one to
each country participating. BY execu-
tive order this standard meter, nothing
more than two lines upon a platinum
iridium bar. was made the standard
length in this country. made standard IN
this way. This order defined the rela-
lOn between the gdIu anu Nuo IleleTs
and the relation between the pound and
the kilogram, so that to-day these plati-
mum standards, the most accurate that
scientists could produce, and made Of the
most durable material serve as the
standards OF our common system.
Some Minor Difficulties.
Last winter Congress abolished its
standard Troy pound Of the mint and
referred the coinage OF the countryside |
Troy pound-to the Bureau of Standards
which IS a certain fraction Of a kilo-
gram Now engineers bring TO us stand |
ards to be verified by 10. 100. 400. and 500
times the length of this standard. Our
standard Is a platinum bar with these |
two lines. Besides, they bring to US the |
hundredth part Of the standard. How,
then, are we to measure them all up by |
this one platinum barr 1t is necessary |
to construct our working standards, |
which are multiples We must have
them 5, 10, 50. and 100 times the length of |
our standards. They must subdivide 1t |
into standards in all the various sub |
divisions that will be needed, and this is |
one OF the most serious problems that is |
to the physicist"
Everything by Standard.
DR.. s. w. Stratton is the director OF
the National Bureau of Standards, the |
home Of precision. The layman can hard |
ly appreciate how close to him comes |
the work of the Bureau Of Standards. |
His groceries are bought by standard |
measures, the imported sugar in ms |
49,