The Washington herald., 1921-02-10
Local Scientific Cooperation.

AS scientific and engineering center of the
country, Washington needs close affiation OF Its
local scientific and engineering societies, and ma
tional organization with headquarters and offices
here. To concretely bind together these various
bodies, and provide place where local and ma
tional meetings and conventions be held, there
should be building to house these organizations.
There are probably FIVE to six thousand scen-
lists and engineers in Washington who are mem
bers of the forty more local scientific societies
or local sections of national organizations. At least
as many more are doing technical and. scientific
work of the highest grade, and would be interested
in the local scientific organizations, If they were
concentrated by affiliaton and had home Added
to this total there are those who in the lower
grades of this cty's scientific work and those who
are indirectly interested
National organizations have their headquarters
here and these allied organizations should be
housed under the same roof. The American Engi-
neering Council of the Federated American Engi-
neering Societies, a superorganizaton recently
formed has selected Washington for its main Of
fees The American Chemical Society's national
secretarial offices are here, and it is believed by
many in that society that all OF its activities should
be directed from here. The American Association
Of Engineers, a growing organization that is inter-
eStcd in the economic and social phases OF the
engineers activities, has Washington offices.
The Washington Academy of Sciences, and its
fourteen affiliated scientific societies. depends
the individual enthusiasm Of the individual officers
on coordination OF their work, and they infringe
on the personal offices of the secretaries for the
paper" work OF the component organizations
This is the case with practically all the local So
ceties, except that, in instances, the Cosmos
Club provides a rallyng place.
There is a vital need Of auditorium OF suit
able size and situation in which to hold the local
! hat
to Washington frequently The halls now most
frequently used-those in the Cosmos Club, the
National Museum, the Interior Building and Car
negie Institution-are too small or have the in
herent disadyantag OF being in a government
building
The advantages of having place where the
| average scientists and engineers can minge and
exchange ideas, and where societies of different
branches Of science can lay down the basis of CO.
operation that will work to mutual advantage, can
not be overestimated. One important possibility
is joint engineering and scientific library Of the
newer literature, particularly periodicals.
A joint printing plant for all of these national
and local organizations, and perhaps, the National
. Research Council and the National Academy Of
| Sciences, seems to be thoroughly practical and
feasible project, if afiation be brought about.
Each society has much printing to be done and
the majority issue proceedings or journals This
could be done jointly at a decrease in cost, time
and trouble.
In the past few years the afiiation OF the
local scientific and engineering societies has been
discussed from time to time. The mechanical cngi-
neers have been interested in such movement, and
the chemists discussed it about two years ago.
Often those who carrying the activities Of
the societies wish that it could become fact.
Perhaps now the time is ripe for a successful
effort.