The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-11-03
rs NEW ORDER
TO RULE WORLD?
Possibility Seen as Outcome
of Machine Age


whom" of a country In which inven-
ton was criminal offense and the
destruction of labor-saving devices a
function of the police he was looked
upon as sour philosopher with a
warped view of scientific age. Now
he is quoted almost with approval
The last two meetings of the British
Association for the Advancement of
Science brought forth addresses
which were written more or less in
his vein and in which the scientists
themselves demanded a nicer adjust
ment of the social and economic ma
chinery to the spirit OF the labora-
tory. Sir Alfred Ewing. Sir Josiah
Stamp and, of course, the dogmatic
Fl. G. Wells are others equally con
vinced that the machine threatens to
outgrow our capacity to control It
unless we mend our social ways.
When we examine the method
whereby we are to master applied
science we find little tangible. In
his presidential address before the
British association Sir Frederick
Gowland Hopkins renewed the IA
miliar demand for IAN organization
of the best intellects." bent on gath
ering knowledge for future practical
services and the creation of "a reser-
voir of synthesized classified knowl-
a6r NH nh Sfo IL
But how his house of experts can be
hitched to an American congress or a
British parliament he failed TO tell US.
None of the numerous students of
science in its social aspect seems to
have recognized that the process of
adjustment TO science and the ma
chine for which they plead is going
on under their very eyes. In Soviet
Russia, in Fascist Italy and in the
United States attempts are now be
ing made to adapt industrial and eco
nomic life TO science and the ma
chine. Whatever the outcome may
be. it is clear that the laissez-faire
policy of yesterday is already giving
way to partial control.
We have been told that scientists
are destined to become rulers who
will study human needs and direct
social evolution as effectively as
they now prescribe the proper COM
bination of vitamins for Gagged rab-
bits or lay down the correct method
of splitting the atom. Instead we
find them acting merely as advisers.
Nor do they protest. Like the rest
of humanity. they realize that there
is something repugnant about state
governed by caste of experts. and
that party boss with definite per-
sonality. whatever his failings may
be, is more appealing to the multi
tude than heartless body of dis
passionate engineers and chemists
whose intelligence is never ruffled by
anger or love.
issues of the moment always loom
large. To the scientist the truth and
the future are all-important: for his
is the business of systematizing
facts so that exact prediction be-
comes possible. While he recognizes
the inadequacy of mere partisan or
even national politics in dealing with
the technical problems of today, he
shrinks from administrative RESPONSE
bilities. So very much does he pre-
fer the adventures of discovery TO
the handling of men that it is diff
cult to thrust upon him even the
presidency of university. Give him
a chance to demonstrate the way in
which science can serve the commu-
nifty and the assurance that his free
dom of thought is not to be restrict
ed or his standards lowered to gain
a political victory and he will be con-
tent. Il is as a servant that he pre-
fers to play his part in reshaping
society and not as a laboratory die
tator.-New York Times.