Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
BY WILLIAM S. ODLIN.

"O THE man in the street there
Is q mildly mysterious tmpli
cation in the term pure sci
Il ence." The lone word 'tsci.
= ence" has in the passage OF the
years lost most Of its terrors for the
lay mind. and the meaning Of applied
science, through many diversified ex
amples close at hand, has become
COMPREHENSIVE to the average In
tellect. But what Is pure science?
Many years ago Frenchman, Reau-
muir, became fascinated by the life
habits of wasps. particularly their
astonishing method of constructing
papery nests. those gray, cone-shaped
mysteries Of the trees so viyidly re-
membered by barefoot lads who had
the ill-advised urge to investigate with
pointed stick.
Reaumur's curiosity beguiled him
Into methodical investigation of how
k1sa insects so readily produced such
adequate and marvellous homes. He
found that It was merely by the mas
Gcation and exgurgitation of bits OF
wood and other vegetable substances.
Interesting. but what OF It? Merely
This: From Reaumur's studies and the
report Of his findings has come about
the colossal industry Of paper manu-
eacture from wood pulp which brings
to every human being who can read a
daily record of what his fellows are
about. The newspaper. as known
throughout the world today, could
never have arrived without cheaply
manufactured news print and that
without the discovery. that didn't seem
very important at the time, of an OBJ
ecure Gallo botanist.
Were In Pure Science.
Reaumur's idle speculations were in
The realm Of pure science, or more re-
soundingly, fundamental scientific re-
search.
Every practical advantage gained
In utilizing natural forces for the bene-
ut Of mankind can be traced back to
necessary basis established through
fundamental research in pure science
by men who had no other object than
10 ascertain the truth" asserted ElihC
Root not long ago. IF that kind of
research ends. progress In applied
science must presently end ALSO"
In recent years 1t became increas-
tngly apparent to leading minds in all
branches Of science that pure science
was rapidly assuming the status of
gtepbrother when considered along
side its robust relatives, applied sci
ence and Industrial research. In the
latter the United States led all the
world, but in pure science other ma
lions were far ahead. Research and
applied science, with untold millions
Of great Industrial and other enter
prises at their command, were fed on
the fat Of the land. Pure science took
the '.leavin's."
Scientists Saw Need.
Civilization advanced at a pace
never hitherto approached In the his
eory of the world and the many felt all
was well. But the few, Americas
scientists Of every description, knew
better. They knew that should the
etepbrother, pure science, languish
and die through malnutrition, indus
trial research and applied science, too,
would be menaced by famine. For 1t
twas upon the bits of food he brought
10 the board that the big brothers of
the family depended for Sustenance.
In other words, 1t was only when
pure science found q fundamental
natural truth that Its corollaries could
kransmute 1t into practical usefulness.
Search for the cause Of the indis-
butably threatening situation quickly
bore results. II was found in the
rapid evolution that is going on in the
educational institutions OF the Nation.
The phenomenal growth of their stu
dent bodies, endowments and gem
Oral achievements has been hailed as
o great national blessing. But there
was another side to the picture. This
growth was the real, underlying rea.
SON for the dangers besetting pure sci
bnce. A generation ago, with much
smaller student bodies, the faculties
were able to devote a large part of
their time to the prosecution of re-
kaarch Rlft financial resources failed