Evening star., 1912-09-05
Government Laboratories Praised by
Distinguished Scientists.
DELEGATES TO LEAVE TONIGHT
President Taft Makes Address of
Welcome and Holds Reception
at White House.

Washington for information.
This morning the majority of the
chemists went to Mount Vernon. but many
of them devoted their sightseeing ambi-
tons to the downtown districts.
Compliments from all sides were heard
regarding the chemical and other labora-
tories at the Department of Agriculture.
That the United States is carrying on the
work of advancement along the most
modern lines is the opinion of the dele
gates.
Many sightseeing automobiles left the
New Willard early this morning for Mount
Vernon. and this afternoon the various
departments of the government were vis-
tied.
Special trains carrying the delegates
back to New York will leave the Union
station late this afternoon.
President Greets Delegates.
Greeting the assembled scientists from
wheeled chair. President Taft yester-
day afternoon apologized for the lame
ness which prevented the courtesy of
standing in the presence of so much
brain. and held a formal reception in
a most informal manner in the east
room at the White House. Here the
President delivered a brief address of
welcome to the visiting delegates. after
WHICH Ie was WHeelcu u tHe lawn,
where he shook hands with scores of
the visitors.
l. his address President Taft discussed
the great Importance of chemical re-
search and its value to the world, and he
dwelt particularly upon a discussion of
the patent question. observing that there
is great room for Improvement in the
United States patent Office.
Il Observe" said the President that
in your various divisions you discuss
chemical. 1 note a consideration of the
question of patents-what patents ought
TO include. and what kind of a patent
system ought to be adopted by each gov
ernment.
Patents have played a very great part
In the development of the United States,
and We have given to patentees a very
valuable monopoly for the purpose of
discovering by their Industries new meth
DDS of accomplishing useful results
whether We have made this monopoly too
great or not is now the subject of con-
sideration by commission provided for
by Congress There is certainly great
room for Improvement in the machinery
Of our patent Office, and 1t would be we'll
II more value could inhere in the issuing
of a patent as an evidence of real prop
erty. Now, however, until a patent has
been fought through the courts people
do not seem to regard it as of great
deal OF monopoly value"
Opportunities for Reform.
II may add" President Taft continued.
that one of the great opportunities for
reform. in my judgment, is in the short
ening of patent litigation and the re-
ducing of its expenditures. know very
little about chemistry. but know a good
deal about patent litigation. / know the
amount of money that has been unnec-
essarily wasted, and the inequality that
has been produced between the rich liti-
CANT and the poor litigant. by reason
of the unnecessary expense of that liti-
.,ation. This is one of the things that
talls for immediate remedy.
1T is not essential that We should make
{ record of 10000 printed pages at $50 a
tiy for experts and 500 day for patent
awyers. l have no objection to patent
cxperts. / have no objection to patent
fawyers, but / think We can have too
much of both of them. What ought to
aappen is that the expert should be called
% open court, should there be examined
3E the principal points of the case. and
taen dismiss ed, and not have that inter
Unable system OF records. which every
FIdge who has had any experience in re-
ect 10 patent laws must condemn. on
TIE one hand. because of its uselessness
aud on the other because of its expense
Yo4 observe that / am willing to make a
II erion in the direction of which / know
ething."
Reception at Smithsonian.
MEMBERS of the board of regents and
e secretary of the Smithsonian lnsti-
ation, DIR. Charles ID. Walcott. received
.ast night in honor Of the visiting dele
gates. The reception. which was bril-
liant affair. was held at the New Ma
tional Museum. In the receiving line
were Richard Rathbun, assistant secre-
tary Of the institution: DIR. L. W. Morley
of Hartford, Conn, honorary president
OF the congress: DR.. William Fl. Nichols
of New York, president of the congress,
and Mrs. Nichols; Sir William and Lady
Ramsay of London; Prof. Leon Lindet
of Paris. DIR. and Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley.
Or. and Mrs. Frank W. Clarke and DIR.
were made by DR. Marcus Benjamin OF
the Smithsonian Institution. The Marine
Band. stationed in the room which con-
tains the Roosevelt collection of African
wild animals. furnished music.
Chemistry Boon to Japan.
That the application OF chemical dis
coyeries regarding agriculture is the sal
walton OF Japan is the opinion of Dr.
Jokichino Emori OF Japan, a delegates tc
the eighth International Congress of Ap-
=
Memorial Hall.
In Japan said DR. Emori, we have
reached the point where only the use OF
IN, most scientific methods will make
our agricultural products come any
where near fulfilling the demand
We have studied conditions in France
where roll which has been worked foi
hundreds OF years is still producing In
AmeCiCa the vast eXpanse of land has
made the farmers careless. and the result
is that much of the land has been
wasted.
There is no question, however. but
that great portion of the wasted land
in America can be reclaimed. Chemistry
embodies the study of the natural re-
sources of any land. The conservation OF
moisture or any of the necessary fea
lures of land is subject in which the
chemist is vitally interested.
U. S. Exports to Cease.
Although the vast expanse of farming
land in the United States has been able