Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-17

washington, D. c., Sept. 16.-Ameri,
can 1nventiveness Is sure to be stimu
lated by the war in Europe. Ameri
cans for the most part consider them
selves the most inventive people on
earth, but this self-estimate is raf
from the truth. In the line of mech
anlcs 1t is probably true that Ameri
can inventors need take a back seat
for nobody, but in other sciences the
development has been carried on
largely by Europeans.
Two typical illustrations are radium
and the heavier-than-air flying ma.
chine. These are probably the two
most important discoveries of the
present century. Americans led in the
discovery of the flying machine-a
mechanical invention. But French
woman scientist, Nine. Curie, discov.
cred radium. Wireless communica.
ton has also been developed chiefly
by Europeans.
It is in the important science OF
chemistry that Europe leads the world
and now that Europe is expanding her
every energy in war 1t is up to the
American scientists to step in and
maintain the progress of civilization.
Americans are only just taking up in.
vestigations in industrial chemistry
to Europe, and particularly to Ger.
many, 1t Is an old subject. In 1913
sixty-one German Investigators in
chemistry and physics won mention
for their achievements in the British
scientific year book Great Britain and
the United States together only had
thirtythree scientists to win recogni-
ton that year, while France had flf-
teen and Russia two.
We do not realize the importance OF
German chemistry until German trade
is cut off by war. Then we suddenly
face the fact that some of our textile
mills must close because of the famine
in analine dyes. Hospitals are com,
planning of lack of radium. The price
of drugs Is increasing. The steel in.
dustry is feeling the scarcity of Ger
tain chemicals used in it's manufac
ture. Dyes, radium, drugs and com
mercial chemicals are produced large
ly in Germany. Germany has had the
trade in these valuable commodities.
because she had the inventiveness I'd
discover the best manufacturing pro
cesses.
Germany, even though she is finally
victorious, is almost certain to be-
Frustrated for many years after the
present war. If the scientific achieve.
ment of the world is not to receive
backset, American scientists must
carry on the discovery. Already many
of our state universities are develop.
ing their commercial investigation la,
boratories to more efficient point.
Radium is an illustration of OUT
backwardness in developing scientific
discoveries for our own profit. France
discovered radium. America has the
largest deposits of radium-bearing
ores. But Germany which neither dis
covered the precious substance nor
owned any supply of ore, has by de.
veloping radium refining, practically
the trade. If the sick of
America are to receive the benefit of
this wonderful substance, this country
must begin radium extraction on a
large scale.
A time limit has been set for Amer
lean inventors for producing analine
dyes. This limit has been set by the
war, in that the present supply OF
analine dyes in this country will be
exhausted within sixty days. Germany
has been furnishing IS per cent Of
these dyes. 1t is of utmost import.
ance to the American textile manufac-
turer that Yankee discover immed-
lately how to make analine dye.