Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
ACADEMY SEEKS REVIVAL.
| OF WORK IMPURE SCIENCE
Means Of Sustaining Applied Branch
Sought in Endowment to Aid
Experts in Research.

to keep pace with the~growth Of stu
| dent bodies, and, as faculties could
i not be increased proportionately ana
teaching and administration duties
pressed, research languished.
Official cognizance Of the situation
was taken by the National Academy
/ Of Sciences at its last annual meeting.
i At that time, this body. composed OF
the $50 leading scientists of the coun-
try, determined that aggressive action
toward a remedy should be taken
without delay Accordingly there was
appointed special board of trustees
to collect and administer a National
i Research Endowment Of $40. 100000 to
be disbursed over a. period Of 10 years
in the fostering OF pure science. The
Craftsmanship was intrusted to Her
bert Hoover and associated with him
are a score OF the leading men of the
/ Nation, both scientists and others.
Their task was undertaken at once
and already several millions have
been subscribed to the fund.
| Seeks to Increase knowledge.
l In its broad aspects the platform Of
the National Research Endowment Is:
| That research in all branches OF
| the mathematical, physical and biologt-
cal sciences should be encouraged, be.
cause Of the intellectual and spiritual
value of adding to knowledge and be-
cause the greatest advances in science
and in industry often result from APP
parently useless abstract discoveries.
That scientists exceptionally quail
| fed to widen fundamental knowledge
through research are Of such value to
| the Nation that every effort should be
made to facilitate their work.
That the funds now available for the
support Of research In pure science in
the United States are far below what
our population, education and MAJ
terial resources demand.
That the National Academy Of
Sciences, created by congressional
charter the scientific adviser of the
Government, and composed Of lead
ing investigators in the closely inter-
locked and mutually dependent mathe-
sciences, is peculiarly qualified to
evaluate the needs of pure science in
America, to stimulate it's progress and
to insure the wisest use Of funds pro.
vided for research.
Experts to Be Chosen.
The plan Of campaign provides for
the selection of the ablest and most
productive investigators in pure
sciences and the furnishing to them
Of such assistance as they may need
in making their work most effective.
When they have presented their plans
for research, stating their exact needs,
such as more time for research, the
aid Of scientific assistants, special
instruments or accessories, appropri-
atoms win be made for fixed periods
Of years, subject to renewal IL CIR
cumstances warrant.
D.
lions with which these investigators
may be connected will be expected to
cooperate to the fullest extent by as
surfing complete sympathy with re-
search, relief from excessive demands
OF teaching or administration, and the
furnishing Of laboratory, instrumental
and other facilities.
It is the confident expectation Of the
National Research Endowment that
by rendering the career Of research
more productive. and thus more at
tractive, It viii draw into graduate
work many brilliant students who
now are lost to science. Mayhap
there may be produced by an in.
finitesima1 part Of the endowment
fund modern counterpart Of Fara-
day, whose discovery Of electfomag-
netic induction has made possible the
whole of the present-day electrical
industry, or a Pasteur. a Newton, a
Copernicus. a Calico.
Huxley says: %
IT weigh my words when say that
IL the nation could purchase q poten-
tial Watt. or Davy, or Faraday, at the
cost of 100000 down, he would be
dirt cheap at the money. It Is q mere
commonplace and everyday piece OF
knowledge that what these men did
has produced untold millions of
wealth, in the narrowest economical
sense of the word -