The sun., 1916-12-29
DANGER TO U. s. In
NITRIC ACIDS LACK
In War Would Have to De-
pend on Chile, DR.. Noyes
Tells Scientists.
DR.. FLEXNER A~'SPEAKER
lie Fears a Recurrence Of In.
fantile Paralysis Next
Summer.

Out OF the thirty-three distinct meet
ings held yesterday In connection with
the big science congress in this city
to say nothing Of half = dozen dinners
stood forth the address made last
evening In the American Museum OF
Natural History by DR.. A. A. Noyes Of
the Massachusetts, Institute Of Tech.
noiogy on Nitrogen and Preparedness
DR.. Noyes. director Of the physical
research laboratory and member Of the
committee Of the National Academy of
Sciences which was asked by the Sec
retary OF War to make a report IN ways
Of obtaining a sufficient supply Of nitric
acid for military purposes. set forth In
detail that in the event Of war the
United states must rely on Chile unless
We can manufacture the product as a
by-product OF coke and get Il from
the air.
Or. Noyes explained that Germany in
the frst year Of the war used more than
1000, 900 tons OF saltpetre. from which
nitric acid Is obtained. for the manufac.
ture OF explosives, and that this amount
was not sufficient. lie explained that
by-products In the manufacture Of coke
will furnish In this country In the COM
Ing yea about 300.00e tons Of nitric
acid. This supply would not be enough
for munition purposes and for other In
dustrles that in war must also be de-
pended upon.
OF Nalue In Agriculture.
Or. Moves explained that nitrogen Ia
nf vAlna for military and aRricttlttr a
purposes. He figured that the United
states should set in a supply Of 100000
tons Of nitric acid a. n reserve In the
event Of war. This would cost about
$4,000. 900. He explained that this
amount would not last long. and cited
the bursts Of military operations ths'
were begun in Europe. lasted three OF
four weeks and then had to stop because
Of the lack Of munitions.
In agriculture. he said. nitrogen could
be used to great advantage II obtained
oheaply enough. He said that II II was
used as a fertilizer for the cereal crops
their value In this country alone could
be Increased s 1900. 900. 900 a yes lie
pointed out that Germany Ia producing
nitrogen chesply enough for fertilisins
work. While. he said. salt petre can
he obtained In large quantities from
Chile. yet the present war had proved
that there might not be enough ships
to carry Il or shipping might he stopped
by submarines. hence the necessity OF
making this country independent OF other
nations In the event Of war.
Few Laymen Attend.
Prior to this meeting thirty-two differ.
cnt organisations held sessions for the
discussion OF problems which had beer
solved In the last year or which were
coming forward now for solution. The
striking thing In connection with these
various meetings was the fact that they
were so poorly attended by laymen.
DR.. simon FIexner. director OF ths
Rockefeller Institute. gave a detailed
talk before the section on social and
economic science on "Infantile Paralys ri.
and the Public Health" lie sought &c
lay before the public the fact that there
no longer 10 any mystery about the dis
ease. He said that scientists had dis
covered accurately how the germs are
communicated from one pervon to an
other. but that the greatest difficulty lay
IN detecting the carriers OF the germ
who apparently never had the disease
Or. Flexner said In part:
II am not fond OF the role Of 9
prophet, but ] think all the indications
nre hat the disease is here and will stsy
for q considerable period. 1t has beer
here since 1905. though not in sue,
great numbers as this last year. but 1
is not improbable that having got
strong hold IL will not easily give way
on the other hand the Indications ar,
that the community which has sufrcre
seriously in one year may not sune
. the next. l am inclined to think tina
the disease will be more widespread,
next summer. but II is not in the leas
certain that it will reappear next sum
mer. and therefore you should hav
will be not only ~forewarned but fore
armed"
state Insurance Attacked.
Tho section on social and economi
science discussed the national thrift
, movement" In the discussion there wa
a concerted attack on State insurance
Among those who opposed public pro
} vision for the care OF private Individual
as discouraging private initiative an,
frugality were Col. George Pope, pesi
} dent Of the American Association o
| Manufacturers j. Scofeld Rowe, vice
president OF the Aetna Life Insuranc
Company Frederick L.. Hoffman, stats
tician Of the Prudential Insurance Com
pany A. Parker Nevin, general counss
to the National Association OF Manu-
facturers, and T.. +. Ri~ttenhouse, com
D.. missioner OF the Equitable Life Assur
! ance Society. Edison :. Lott, pnesiden
of the United States Casualty Compsn,
denounced compulsory social insurance.
Charles l.. Close told how the Unite
States Steel Corporation had spcn
$4,000 0 In welfare work. This
double-varrelled science" he said. 81
brings results in men and In profits to,
. The tim has come when every en-
I ployer OF men must employ q scientis
to make the most out OF life for hi
! men In order that the employer may &c
a the most out Of his men,
| Debate o. A9e Of Maa.
One OF the interesting discussions be
fore the American AnthrOpoloGicsl Al
Z ISOLATION had to do with the age q
. men. The argument arose over III
human remains discovered at vero. Fl,
!. DIR. c. y. Hay. OF the Carnegie Inst.
tuition. Washington. maintained that III
bones we're more than 800. 900 years ole
c hut Or. A. Hrdllckam. OF washington
Q and DR.. George Grant MacCurdy. G
r Yale contened that they could not b
y more than 1876. 1000 years Did.
Prof. j, McKeen Cattell OF Columbii
r speaking at the twenty-ffth anniversar
2 Of the American Psychological Associa
y ton, told Of what psychology had a,
= complished.
CLARK williams nresilcnt ~ tha I,