Evening star., 1927-09-19
Idea of Scientific Holiday
gghtly Treated by Press

The grain of truth that appeared in
the remarks of Right Rev. Edward
Burroughs, Bishop of Ripon. advising
a holiday from scientific research for
10 years, has served to produce a
semi-humorous debate ON both sides
of the Atlantic. The bishops idea
that it might be a good plan to
assimilate the knowledge already
achieved before going forward, in or.
der that life might be made pleas.
anter, is met with words of approval
but serious doubts are raised as the
world contemplates the time that
would be lost by the proposed holiday.
There should be no stopping OF
scientific investigation" advises the
Albany Evening News, but there
ought to he better assimilation of
the knowledge that has been gained.
Even suppose that for 10
years past science had made no prog
ress and that we were still living I'M
der older conditions, would we still be
giving more time to philosophy and
to established knowledge? Hardly.
AS soon as the world stops going for.
ward it will so backward. 1t will not
stand STILL The Oakland Tribune
also feels that "the theory of a scien-
tific holiday, in which research and
invention would mark time or take a
vacation, has a natural appeal to a
bewildered world, but is one holiday
which will never be marked on the
calendar. There is no way to order
men to stop thinking"
'Moralists are pretty much in agree
ment.' admits the New Bedford Stand.
ard. that mankind has not oriented
itself to the revolutionary changes in
,s<<l n
years. Whether it will q succeed
in doing so is question. - 2nwhile.
science, speaking through devotees.
insists that it must go on wrestling
from nature her secrets, discovering
new things. and that it is not con-
cerned whether the use made of them
ia for the individual and social good.
That, science says, is the concern OF
religion and morals
Science points the way to conserva-
tion." says the Toledo Blade, mot only
OF fuel but of lumber, minerals and
natural resources of all kinds. Science
combats new plaques and diseases. as
we'll as insect pests. but it knows
comparatively little yet and the world
is not glutted with overwhelming
knowledge. AS the Duchess of Atholl
says, we may be breathless and tired
in the race for knowledge. but we need
much more knowledge than we have,
and nothing more potentially disas-
trous than a 10-year holiday for all
scientists could be proposed. Waste
of natural resources which might be
saved by science would be appalling
and pests and pestilence might prevail
against mankind in the struggle for
existence"
The Dayton Daily News agrees that
Science has provided the human race
with physical powers which it has not
developed the moral intelligence to
control. We are hosting ourselves" 4"
continues the News, with the petards
which science has made for us. 1t is
a question of catching up quickly in
a moral nd spiritual way with science
or blowing ourselves to pieces with
our new implements. as the small boy
blows himself up with his cannon fire.
cracker. Science is now threatening
to release molecular energy for the
use of man. If it does that, how long
will the race take, it's fighting blood
being as at present, to put a total
end to itself? The Bishop of Ripon
wants science to wait. A joke?
Rather. it might appear matter of
life or death"
Now 1t might he that little pause
would he just the proper thing for
us" suggests the Providence Bulletin.
I'm moments of excitement, a deep
breath and a little enforced reflection
over the situation have proved many