New-York tribune., 1921-05-15
Radiurl1 Story
Told at Vassar
By Nine. C,lrie
It's Discovery Shows How
Regard for Beauty of
Science Benefits World,
She Informs Students,
Fond of American Girls
Likes Their Gayety in Com
trast to French; Enjoys
Picnic i'm the Berkshires
FROM a STAFF Corrsspondent


P0UGHKEEPSIE, May Ia - Nine
Marie Curie made her first public ad-
dress in America at Vassar College to-
night, when she told the story of her
/. discovery of radium to the assembled
student body.
The great adventure of radium, she
said, proved the beauty of science"
must be served first and considerations
of usefulness would follow:
Her speech was in part as follows
We must not forget that when
radium was discovered NO one knew
that it would prove useful in hospitals
The work was one of pure science And
tins Is a proof that scientific work
must not be considered from. the point
of view of it's direct usefulness. It
must be done for itself, for the beauty
OF science, and then there is always the
chance that a scientific discovery may
become, like radium, d benefit for
humanity.
But science is not rich; it does not
generally meet recognition before the
material usefulness of it has been
proved The factories produce many
grams of radium every year, but the
iaporatories have very small Quantities.
That is true of my laboratory, and that
IS why | am very grateful to the
American women who wish me to have
more radlum and are giving me the
opportunity to go on with my work.
May. Cure Dread Diseases
=. IF we take practical point of view,
then the most important property of
the rays is the production, of physio-
logical effects on the cells of the hu-
man organism. These effects may be
used for the cure of several dread dis
eases. Es
"Good results have been obtained in
many cases. What is considered par
ticularly important is the treatment of
cancer. However, the question is not
yet solved. Not every cancer can be
cured by radium, but in many cases
there have been good results and abso-
lutte cure. -.
"The medical use of radium made it
necessary to obtain the element in
sufficient quantities, and so a factory
for radtum was started first in France
and later in America, where large
quantities are available"
President Henry Noble MacCracken
of Vassar, escorted Nine. Curie to the
platfory of the college chapel, intro
ducing her as Hths living exemplar of
science which is friendly, merciful and
helpful to man"
Nine. Curie's speech at Vassar was
unpremeditated. She has been i'll ever
since her arrival in this country last
week, but the tonic of sunshine and
Berkshire apple blossoms came to her
rescue to-day, and after her 15O-mile
automobile ride from Smith College she
herself suggested that she speak to the
Vassar girls,
Likes American Girls
Nine. Curie has fallen in love with
American college girls. A smile lights
up her tired face whenever she sees
them, fresh faced, gayly dressed and
laughing. .. ..e..-5,-
"They are so different from French
students" she said to one Of her
parties. :tOver there all are sad and
most are dressed in black from the
war. 1t is very fine to have colleges in
the country, too. 1t makes for more
wholesome" life than the colleges in
cities such as Paris"
. Nine. .Curie had an ovation at Mt.
Holyokee early this morning, when the
entire student body gathered around
her automobile, singing "The Marseil-
laise" in French. Miss Mary Manson,
president of the student body, pre-
sented her with abunch of sweet peas
and a book of the-views of Mt. Holyoke
College, and Miss Suzanne Bouquet
'Nadapt, a French fellowship scholar,
had the. honor of shaking hands with
her. She was the only person to whom
this privilege was uchsafed to-day.
Enjoys Picnic Lunch
One factor in Nine Curie's recovery
to-day was picnic lunch in the Berk-
shires. The automobiles sent over
from Vassar College for the cross
country trip were generously equipped
with picnic hampers, and when the top
of Jacobs Ladder" was reached,
where a tiny. brook rippled beside the
road, Nine. Curie had her srst Amer
lean picnic. Hand in hand with her
daughter Irene she wandered about
picking violets and spring beauties, her
face radiant with a delight.
4 Nine Curie will spend tomorrow
resting at Vassar College and will re-
turn to New York on Monday. r.