Omaha daily bee., 1914-09-08

less lead. In taeir studies or medical
specifics and lnoculants they took first
place. Their chemical products went
everywhere, and everywhere they were
regarded as almost unrivaled IN quality
and reliability, The consequence OF the
shutting off OF the German supply is
already seen in the increased cost OF
drugs
A vivid idea Of the position of advan-
tage which the German chemists have
maintained II given by glance at any
up-to-date statistical books. l turn to an
English year book OF that kind and find
that during the year 1913 slxty-one Ger
man investigators in chemistry and chem
ical physics earned a mention of their
names, while the English investigators
Including Americans, numbered thirty
three. the French fifteen and the Rus
Elan two.
| No doubt the character OF the Teutonic
mind has something to do with the lead
which Germany has had in chemical In
dustry. but there Is no good reason why
! American chemists should not, now that
an extraordinary opportunity Is offered
! them. assume the lead and keep II for
an indefinite period in the future. We
have the knowledge, the skill and the raw
materials TO work with. Hitherto we
have lacked incentive to co our best, and.
bowling to European prestige, have con-
eentrated our attention upon other
things.
Now. necessity and opportunity to-
gether call upon us,
Consider for n moment the subject OF
rndium The greatest deposits OF radio
active minerals known In the world exist
In our country. and yet We have been
sending this precious material TO Europe,
and mainly to Germany, TO have its vir-
tue extracted and made available for
medical use. Hereafter IL Is probable the
United States will be the great center OF
the radium industry.
A hundred other industries in which
chemistry plays the chief part, and which
I have hitherto had their principal seat In
Germany. will now be developed here, II
only the will to do Is matched to the OPP
poTtunty. There IL, for instance, an in
dustry OF continually growing Importance
that has hardly found a foothold In this
country, although its products are very
widely used herc-the manufacture OF OPP
teal glass and OF glass for laboratory
use
Whenever our American astronomers
who as observers lead the world, wanted
new and greater telescope they have
heretofore sent to Germany or to France
for the material OF which to make the
lenses and the mirrors. The optical glass
OF Jena In Germany. IL world-famous,
and that OF ST. Gobain, in France, Is
equally renowned.
We have the greatest telescopes In ex-
istence and the best telescope makers.
but up to the present time we have never
learned to manufacture the glass, without
which no telescope could exist
All our college laboratories arc crowded
with apparatus made in Gsrmanyi all our
drug stores have their shelves loaded
with drugs prepared in German; all our
technical libraries abound with books
printed In Germany and describing the
results OF German scientific investiga-
ton.
But since Germany now has her atten-
tion absorbed by other things than this
advance OF knowledge and industry and
since the other European nations that
: have hitherto held the lead over US IN
/, these matters are strainlng their energies
. also on the fields of bloodshed. It be-
comes a duty for American men oi
: science TO prevent the halt and the recess
u sion which science would surely eK-
perience II her torch were not kept allghi
Q and her march accelerated on this side
o Of the ocean.