The Washington herald., 1918-10-10
OUR CHEMISTS
Do THEIR BIT
Holland Tells of Scientists
Contributions to
War.

OhNh olE "lliidln 1nOlilpsoH udEtu
to break the unwritten law and to
ask money recompense for his dis
eovsries, II was looked upon as un-
professional. and undignifed for chem
lists and other men Of science. es-
pecially those occupied in making re-
searches, to offer their discoveries
for sale. Sir William Thompson. who
Afterwards was elevated to the peer
age as Lord Kelvin. saw no reason
why he should not ask or accept pay
ment for the use Of his discoveries and
inventions. Instead of doing harm
to his reputation this action of Sir
William was more and more ac-
cepted as a proper course to take until
now chemists and other men of
science. whether they are occupied in
making research work or In perfect
ing apparatus whereby the result of
their discoveries may be available for
industry or the general welfare Ex-
cept to receive and. In many cases,
do receive large money returns in
payment for those things which they
have discovered and utilized.
Are $4,000 Chemists.
Today there are twenty-five thou
sand chemists in the United States.
almost all of whom are occupied in
research and in the utilization Of
their discoveries so that they may
be made available for the war pur-
poses of the government as well as
for the industries. Chemistry and
the application of II for utilitarian
purposes has now become one Of the
greatest of American industries and
the truth Of that statement was as
serted at the meeting a few days
ago in New York City OF representa-
tives Of chemical industries, particu-
Iarly those which have been estab-
lished since the European war be-
gan.
II has been said that men will win
the war. ships will win the war, food
will win the war, but it is certainly
true that without the discoveries and
the application Of them to the indus
trial advantage which have been
made by the American chemists il
would. be of small avail for US to
raise armies, cultivate food and send
these supplies across the seas.
Overcome German Lead.
What Germany has been occupied
for thirty or forty years in perfecting.
namely, her chemical industries, the
United States has practically secured
in about four years. The American
chemists who recently met in New
York are, as a whole, a remarkable
body of men. They are enthusiasts,
and while they look upon money re-
turns as essential, nevertheless they
speak OF their recent achievements
with pride. saying that they demon
strate that the United States by rea-
son OF the exigencies of war is GER
tain to become the leader among the
nations of the world in the chemical
industry.
Work of the Chemists.
In France and in England the gov
ernments are regarding the chemists
as Constituting a force which Is en-
gagged in essential industries that are
of the utmost importance to those
countries. France has not many
chemists in comparison with the
number of these men Of science in
the United States; according to re-
liable information there were In
France recently not more than 300
chemists; on the other hand, in Ger
many the estimate is that at least
5000 chemists are diligently occu-
PACN III hluS Oul ne" pEODleTflS
with which to provide the German
force and to some extent
the German people with needed COM
modities.
1t is the German chemists who
have made it possible for Germany
constantly to manufacture explosives,
utilizing new formulas, and it * also
these chemists who provided the
formula which enabled Germany to
initiate her gas warfare and to
maintain IL.
Just after the United States entered
the war the government felt compelled
to call upon the chemists to manufac-
ture gas powerful, effective and of
more dangerous quality than any gas
manufactured by Germany. In a
number OF the laboratories chemists
set to work upon the problem. Moth
ing like it'had ever appealed to them
before we entered into the war. In
a few months they discovered and
worked out a formula to which only
general reference has been made but
which nevertheless Is enabling the
government to manufacture at a great
plant near Baltimore poisonous gas
Of an especially powerful kind with
which our soldiers in France are to
be fully supplied. The magnitude of
this governmental undertaking which
American chemists have made pos
sible is demonstrated by the fact that
recently our government called
upon manufacturers Of GER
tain apparatus which IL needed in
the manufacture OF poisonous gas, de-