Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-30

900 miles Of railroad, and these have
pledged themselves to organize q cons
tincntal system which will be entirely
at the disposal of the government dur
ing the war. The telephone and tele-'
graph companies have also expressed
themselves az ready to put all OF their
facilities at tho service OF tho govern
mcnt. Tho motor resources OF the
country have been carefully listed, and
they will be no small part OF our cmer-
Eency transportation equipment: for
America has over 100000 automobiles,
and can produce 100000 year. The
troops that saved Paris from the first
German onslaught went to tho front In,
private autos and taxis.
Tho few facts available about Mr.
Howard Il. Coffin, who Is commissions
for Standardization and industrial re-
lations. arc chiefly interesting AZ show,
Ing that he belongs to the same type
as Mr.. Willard. For he, too, has do
voted all of his life to Industry, and
enters public service with both his for
tune and his reputation made, and with
valuable equipment OF experience.
He. too started In II modest way, as q
postal employee. but soon found that
building automobiles was his real vocal
ton. and has been building them ever
since with n success and foresight
which arc familiar TO almost every
one. Equally well known are his
achievements in his present position,
where he has made Il reputation by his
fecundity in original ideas. 1t was
he who worked out the plan for edu-
eating manufacturers to make govern
mcnt goods by the judicious placing
Of small orders. More recently he dar-
inGly opposed the nationwide move
mcnt for economy on tho ground that
II was paralyzing business.
Dr. Hollis Godfrey. president OF tho
Drcxcl Institute of Philadelphia. is tho
only member of tho advisory commits
ness. a man who has spent much OF
his life within college walls as student.
professor and executive, he belongs to
type which WAS also rare in public
life until Woodrow Wilson dcmon-
stratcd that considerable degree OF
education might be applied to politics
without disastrous results.
Issued Careful Analysis.
Whereas most of the other members
OF tho advisory commission have set
out to do things without saying much
about their plans. Dr. Godfrey began
by issuing an admirable analysis of tho
problem which confronts his depart
mcnt OF science and research. He
points out that Gcrmany's wonderful
war efficiency in largely due to the
fact that in Germany the interdepen-
dencc of science and industry are fully
recognized, and the two fully CO.
ordinatcd. This means that In Germany
every university laboratory Ia under
government supervision. and through
the universities. practically all tho
scientific activities in tho empire
When a German entomologist discovers
by the study OF certain fly new
principle in aeronautics. the govern
ment forthwith produces a biplano built
on that principle.
In the United States no such co-ordi-
nation exists. The universities are en-
tirely independent. Our spirit is ono
Of extreme individualism. and the in
Hcfenti8t updcr M cor,
pulsion TO lay his discoveries befors
the government. In word, the United
States has no regularly constituted way
Of finding out what It's scientific re.
sources are. .
DR.. Godfrey conceives that the task
OF his committees is to supply this lack
OF coordination between science and
industry. and in SO doing he will UNI
doubtedly render service of perma-
ncnt value.