The Washington herald., 1917-11-03
SCIENCE IN WAR
SAVANTS' TOPIC
Holland Dwells On Coming
Meeting of Association
in Pittsburgh.

Yesterday afternoon there met in
this city a committee of officers to
make arrangements for the meeting
of the American Association for the
Advancement Of Science. This meet
ing Is to be held in Pittsburgh in
December and will be the seventieth
meeting of the association. Fifteen
thousand men of science and others
who, while not entitled to that de-
scription, are nevertheless interest,"
ed in the advancement of science,
represent the membership of the
association.
Ordinarily the business of the as
sociation would be chiefly occupied
with discussions of scientific sub
jects but the abnormal conditions
occasioned by the war led to earnest
comparison of views at the meeting
yesterday whose purpose was to de-
eide upon the appropriate subjects
for discussion.
Future Financing.
At first some of those who took
part in the gathering were strongly
inclined to recommend that the meet
ings of the association be devoted
to the consideration of the question
VI dIlcT lIle NdT
Of stupendous loans which the allies
have secured and to which the Amer
lean people have already subscribed
and presumably are again to sub
scribe. This future financing was re-
garded as one CT tie most important
of the subjects for careful consid-
Grafton.
Cne of those who attended this
conference, however. stated that in
his opinion thu questions which re-
ferred to future financing were purely
banking questions. They involved
consideration and action by the great
fnanciers of the country and by
those who represented the govern
ment at Washington. On the other
hard 1t seemed to him that there
could be no more important ques-
on for discussion than the relation
If science to the present necessities
Of the nation and the part which
science will bear in rebuilding the in
dustrial commercial and business life
not only OF the United States. but of
our allies.
Relation of Science to Nation,
After a little discussion the sugges-
ton was accepted, and this meeting
of the American Association for the
Advancement Of Science will be
chiefly occupied with the discussion of
the relation Of science to the welfare
of the nation.
There has been a change in the at
tftude of the men of science towards
protecting themselves from pecuniary
loss or from insufficiency of support.
Formerly it was regarded beneath the
dignity of man of science to make
application for governmental protec-
ton for discoveries or inventions
Sir William Thompson. afterwards
Lord kalvin, esteemed in his time the
greatest man of science of Great
9ritain, was the first to apply to the
government for protection so that he
might reap some pecuniary benefit
from his discoveries and inventions.
Men of science the world over regard
ed this as perhaps unworthy of a
man of the great scientific attain
ments of Lord Kelvin. Afterwards
the example he set was to some ex-
tent adopted. although to this day
many men of science are entirely con-
tent if they make discoveries that are
of interest or Importance to the world.
Science As Aid to War.
The relation of American science to
the war and to the upbuilding and