The New York herald., 1921-09-10

AMERICAS FUTURE
BEFORE chemists
DR.. E. F. Smith Urges Upon
Associates Recognition Of
Nations Claims.
CONVENTION CLOSES
Carburet0r Described That
Gives Forty Miles to a
Gallon of GasOlene.
ARTIFICIAL EYE SHOWN
Report Made on American
Production of Synthetic
Camphor From Coal Tar.

ica's industrial and economic develop
ment was the keynote of the farewell
address of DIR. Edgar F. Smith, head
OF the American Chemical Society. de-
iivered in the gymnasium Of Columbia
University last night as the conclud-
ing feature of six day convention, in
which several of the most prominent
chemists Of Great Britain and Canada
participated.
Dr. Smiths address followed the
presentation to the National Museum
in Washington of portrait of Joseph
fleeing his native England to avoid
persecution, established himself near
Northumberland, Pa, and has since
been regarded as one Of the fathers of
American chemistry. The portrait was
a copy of Gilbert Stuart portrait and
was presented on behalf of the Priestly
Memorial Committee by c. A. Browne,
director of the Sugar Trades Labora-
tories.
Science and Patriotism.
"The burden of my DESIRE DIR. Smith
said, 'is that the youth Of the land.
entering our science. shall be broadly
end fundamentally trained In It's prin-
ciples and achievements that. while
they may glory In their own particular
successes. mental and material. they
shall constantly say to themselves
What have we done for our country
Chemistry is most honorable when
she Is most usefully employed. She Is
equally In her own proper element when
analyzing the diamond with Davy, and
when descending, with humble Industry,
to the assistance of the manufacturer
at his loom, or the dyer at his vat.
My desire would be to have no East,
West. North or South in chemistry. but
one united body from all sections eager
10 carry the science into every walk
of life-even into the halls Of govern
ment that their occupants may under
stand how intimately chemistry Is
interviewer with the laws and welfare
of the land. IL America Is to be con-
tinued among her sister nations in the
place she has won that science which
confessediy makes wealth and guards
and preserves the freside must see the
industries erected by 1t supported by
every kind of just legislation that In
the end America and her future will be
respected"
Hot Air Carburetor.
Several interesting papers and dis
cussions were heard during yesterday
afternoons session of the various Sec
lions OF the convention. OF particular
interest to motorists and motor truck
owners was the statement by Prof
Ir nj n
engineering department of the Univer-
sity OF Michican. made before the in
dustrial section. that experiments he
has been conducting with a new type OF
carburetor have demonstrated the possi-
biIty of making between forty and for
ty-flve miles on a gallon of gasolene.
by introducing hot air into the car
buretor. directly off the exhaust" Prof.
Brown explained. I'VE automatically get
a richer and more uniform mixture. Re-
cent experiments with the type of car
buretor that is adjustable from the
drivers seat have demonstrated our abil-
ity to get from thirty-dve to forty miles
gallon on level runs In these ex-
periments a hot air attachment was
used.
Improving upon this, however. we
have perfected a carburetor which au-
tomatically adjusts itself as the car goes
up or down hill. and we are demonstrate
ins practically complete saving OF the
80 per cent. Of power wasted In the old
style carburetor and are getting year
ly uniform mileage Of better than forty
miles to the gallon"
Errorless Color Matching.
Another interesting demonstration
was that of the seienium galvanometric
colorimeter by Alexander Lowy and
Oswald Blackwood Of the University of
Pittsburgh. The device Is used for the
precise and accurate matching of col
ors beyond possibility of error for use
IN textile and other industries The
arrangement consists Of a series OF
selenium and storage cells in which solu-
tions of known and unknown degrees
Of color are placed and a galvanometric
reading obtained by directing with a
focusing lens beam of white light
through prism upon the solution %
unknown color strength in the seicnium
cell. The instrument has been called
the artificial eye
The time honored discussion at all
such conference.-the general adoption
OF the metric system OF weights and
measurcs-was introduced by Prof.
Eugene G.. Bingham OF Lafayette Col
lege. who said that universities and coll
lcges generally were favorably inclined
10 the adoption Of the system. but that
the chief opposition appeared to come
from the manufacturers. That objection
Is based principally on a reluctance 20
adopt any new system OF weights and
measures until the systems now IN use
are by common consent abandoned.
Prof Bingham. however, pointed
out that many OF the largest manufac-
turing concerns In the country now were
selling their products regularly on the
metric basis.
Substitutes for Camphor.
II G. R. De Long. chief chemist OF the
United States Tariff Commission, ad-
Crossing the division Of dye chemistry.
said that artificial camphor and many
other valuable products were being made
In large quantities In America now from
coal tar. The high price OF camphor
during the war led to search for a
substitute with the result that triphenyl
and tricresyl phosphates were Intro
duced as substitutes for camphor In
the manufacture of pyroxylin tgun-cot-
toni plastics.
To-day the visiting chemists viii In
spect some OF the large Industrial plants
IN New York city. Most OF the British
and Canadian representatives will re-
main 10 attend the Chemical Exposition
which opens next Monday In the arrnory
of the Eighth Coast Artillery in the
Drens(