Evening star., 1924-04-24
CHEMISTS SERVICES
PRAISED BY COOLIDGE
Much of Progress of Nation At
tributed to Their Researches
by President.

Declaring that much of the success
and progress of this nation has been
due to the service of the scientists
and chemists of the country in
searching for the truth" President
Coolidge this afternoon in an address
at the White House to the members
of the American Chemical Society.
meeting in this city, comp!imented
them upon their work and said that
it seems fitting that their government
should acknowledge the debt that is
due them.
The President said that the people
of this nation are now enjoying COM
forts and advantages undreamed OF a
generation ago, all of which have be-
come possible in a large measure
through the knowledge and work of
the chemical profession. He said
industry has progressed and that dis
ease has been fought with greater
success as result of their efforts.
Wise Use of knowledge.
Our material progress depends
upon the acquisition of knowledge,
and upon the wise and beneficial use
of knowledge depends our permanent
President. While it is everywhere
recognized that the endeavors of
scientific men have given to the
world 4 foundation of modern in
duStrial civilization, another con-
tribution by them--the ideal service
is perhaps of greater import to the
nation and the future"
Use of helium gas would have pre-
vented the burning of the Roma, the
ZR-2 and the Dixmude, lighter than
air craft, which have been destroyed
in three nations over a period of
four years, DIR. Richard B. Moore of
New York, formerly chief chemist of
the bureau of mines, declared today
in an address before the petroleum
division of the American Chemical
Society at Central High School.
DR.. Moore took issue with Capt. An
ton Heinen of the Shenandoah, declar-
ing "a certain German engineer who
is in this country has made it a spe-
cial point publicly and on all pos
sible occasions, to knock the use of
helium and boost the use of hydro
gen. He recently went so far in a
public statement as to claim that
the French government had deliber-
ately lied in connection with it's re-
port concerning the disaster to the
Dixmude''
Fostering and promotion of the in
PRODUCTION and sale of American
chemicals and allied products in for
e1gn markets is the primary object of
the chemical division of the Depart
ment of Commerce, c. c. Concannon
told the visiting chemists today The
field covered by the chemical division
is extensive and on account of the
scientific and technical features in
volved the many aspects of the work
present a problem of considerable
magnitude and difficulty in attempt
ing to coordinate activities to the
point where the greatest service NAV
be rendered where most needed Mr.
Concannon said.
Enactment of a national stamping
law to protect buyers of platinum was
urged by Cal Morrison Hoke who
pointed out some of ihe anomalies of
the present situation and the advantages
of proposed measures. Mr. lToke also
explained the modern commercial
methods for melting The precious
metal as employed in 5000 jewelry
factories.
Research work in glass manufac-
ture at the bureau of standards is now
being carried into commercial fields,
with work of inquiry into auneaIing
glass viscosity, glass specifications
and development of the refined
method of analysis being done, p H
Bates of the bureau said.
Would Forbid Exports.
DR.. Moore said that the export of
helium should be forbidden by fed
eral legislation, as the United States
possesses a practical monopoly of this
gas. A hydrogen-fil airship, he
said, might be destroyed by a single
incendiary bullet, while total destruc-
ton of the gas bags would be neces-
sary to bring helium-filled ship to
the ground.
Foreseeing a day when a large part
of the worlds food supply will be
produced artificially, DR.. Carl L. Ais
berg of Leland Stanford University
yesterday predicted mans emancipa-
tion from absolute dependence on the
soil.
Turning to possible sources of en-
ergy necessary for such food produc-
tion, DR.. Alsberg said that, if meas
ured in terms of anthra cite, it would
require fourteen million tons annu-
ally to supply the calory food con-
sumption of the present population
of the United States.
Get Energy From Sun.
The most promising source of en-
ergy for mankind to turn to in the
day of artificial food production"
DIR. Alsberg said, sis solar radiation -
BY mechanical process of storing
clared, the present ''inefficiency of
agriculture" due to its waste of en-
ergy," would be largely supplemented
by the efficiency of a chemical
process
DR.. Harvey w. Wiley, father of the
pure food and drugs act, and Prof. G.
n Lewis, head of the department of
chemistry at the University of CAL
ifornia, yesterday indorsed the plan
of Harvard University to extend it's
national service.
DIR. Lewis said, Harvard has the
best department and the worst lab
oratory in the country" The Asso-
citation of Harvard Chemists at a
luncheon indorsed the plan of Bishop
Lawrence of Massachusetts to raise
$40, ZOO, 900 to extend the national
service of Harvard, of which S3,0OO,-
600 is to be expended for new build
ings and endowment for the division
of chemistry.