The Washington times., 1924-04-22
5000 CHEMISTS
ARE HERE FOR
MEETING
Record Crowd Wears Atomic
Theory Discussed at
Early Session.

With every seat and every avail.
able inch Of wall space occupied, the
sixty-seventh annual meeting of the
American Chemical Society opened
today in the large ballroom Of the
New Willard Hotel.
The attendance oE>more than 5000
was record.bre0 king and unexpected
Every spare chair in the hotel was
brought to the ballroom during the
morning session, as the crowd grew
denser hourly.
Speakers at the morning session
told the gathering that conflicting
views Of chemists and physicists on
the construction Of the atom, mi
mute particle Of energetic matter
are gradually becoming reconciled.
Agreement Important.
The fact that chemistry and
physics may agree upon atomic com
position is regarded as highly i'm
portant by scientists, as these little
units and their smaller brothers, tho
electrons, hold the secret TO in
Vulnerable problems Of vital general
interest.
The speakers today were Gilbert
N. Lewis, professor Of chemistry in
the University of California. and
Robert A. Millikan, physics pro-
lessor of the California Institute o.
Technology. They discussed atomic
structure ard the apportionment OF
electrons from both sides of the
scientific fence.
Professor Lewis outlined the dit
ferences in theory between the two
branches Of science. He said that
six or eight years ago the views
Of chemists and physicists concern
ing the structure Of the atom
seemed hopelessly at odds.
Each Revises Theory.
1.-THE chemist" he said, thought
Of static atom, with electrons ar
ranged in concentric cubes around
the atomic center. The physicist
thought of a planetary system
electrons revolving with great
speed in orbits about the center.
several electrons being assigned to
each orbit"
The chemists now have accepted
the theory Of the orbits instead of
the cubes, the speaker said. and the
physicists no longer insist on sew
eraI electrons in each orbit, but give
each electron its own orbit.
The pairing Of electrons, a prin-
ciple which chemists have come to
regard as the cardinal principle
Of all chemistry, has been borne out
by experiments during the past two
years, Professor Lewis told the
society.
Welcomed to District,
The meeting was formally opened
by r. s. Mcbride, president of the
Washington section, who turned
the chair over to Leo H. Baekeland.
national president. who announced
the program for the afternoon and
introduced the speakers.
President Baekeland said that the
afternoon would be devoted to spe.
cial general divisional programs, to
be held in various special rooms of
the hotel by the several component
groups Of the society.
While the assembly was organ
izing for the consideration Of busi.
ness, the principal topic Of CONVEX.
sat1on was the strong opposition
registered at the council meeting
yesterday against the Cramton bill
designed to, effect more stringent
enforcement Of the prohibition law
Attacked In Report.
The report Of the committee on
industrial alcohoI, unanimously
adopted by the council, stated that
the measure would be another step
in the work of the prohibition
forces ITO acquire the authority tO
pass on the needs and rights OF
the industries to alcohol and arbi
0rtly to saddle this authority on
~ industries"
Tea will be poured for delegates
at the home Of DIR. and Mrs
Atherton Seidell, 1901 Connecticut
avenue, later in the afternoon. The
night meeting will be held in the
new National Museum, where q
motion picture, "A Boat Trir
shown. with an illustrative talk by
Roland w. Burchard, Of the United
States Geological Survey party
which made the trip. A reception
with music by the Marine Band
also will be held, and the museum
WIN be open for inspection until II
Dinner for Garvin.
Approximately 600 delegates will
attend the dinner to be given by the
principal chemists organizations Of
the United States in honor Of
Francis P. Garvin, former Alter
Property Custodian, in the WALDORF
Astoria Hotel, Saturday.
The majority Of those ATTENDING
the convention will go from Edge
wood Arsenal, Nd, where they viii
be entertained earlier in the day.
1t was announced today that thu
nationwide prize essay contest, in
stttuted by Mr.. Garvin for student,
OF chemistry and allied subjects, will
De continued another year. Almos
100000 students participated in the