The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-03
Science In
the Service
of Labor
BY d. SASLAVsKY


full of people and light. Slogans
printed on red material speak OF
the aims and tasks OF today's
gathering. The words: Science"
and Labor" are repeated in yari-
GUS combinations.
The orchestra is playing, there Is
loud applause at the appearance of
venerable, elderly, gray-haired peo-
pie who take their seats at the
tables on the platform covered
with red cloth. There are dozens
of them, some in old fashioned
clothes, as they were worn in pre-
revolutionary Russia: long frock
coats, waist-coats and watch chains.
THE ACADEMICIANS
They are the academicianS. AL
of them are very learned people,
some with a world reputation.
Among them are representatives Of
various branches of science, mostly
natural science-physics chemistry,
geology, biology, astronomy, botany
Every one of them is an institute
in himself. Every one has to his
credit long years Of scientific work,
the publication of dozens Of works,
important discoveries.
The academicians sit at the
tables on the platform. The hall,
is filled With WORKERS. 1t Is the
meeting of two worlds, which,
prior to the proletarian reyolu-
ton, could never and nowhere
meet, which do not meet any
where In the capitalist countries.
THE Academy Of Science has eX-
1 listed in the old Russia almost
200 years. 1t was by its nature a
Court institution. Relatives of the
Tsar were its presidents, tbs Acad~
envy of Science was open only to
sayants who we're loyal TO the Tsar
and capitalism. There we're prom
inent Savants in TsariSt Russia,
such as MendeleyeV and Mechni-
koy. Their fame spread through
out the world like rays of light.
Mendeleyey'S works created an
epoch in chemistry. and his peri
odical system is known to every
chemist, even to beginners. But
there was no access for MepdeleyeY
to the Russian Academy Of Science.
He was kept out Of it by learned
narrow mindedneSs which only
thought Of distinctions and decora-
tons.
Not single prominent progress
Sive writer has been a member of
the Academy prior to the revolu-
ton. On the eve of 1905 Maxim
Cork was elected to the Academy.
He was already famed then. Tsar
Nicholas II ordered him to be ex-
PEELED as a revolutionist, and the
learned academiciars carried out
the order like obedient lackeys.
GENERALS OF SCIENCE"
There were prominent saYants
There were prominent SavantS
also among the old academicians.
But they regarded themselves as
the generals of science, they did
not want to have anything In COM
mon with the toiling masses and
plumed themselves on their social
standing. In science, they repre-
Sented the most reactionary inSti-
tuition. 1t is not for nothing that
the term "academism" has been
given the meaning of scientific re-
action, backwardneSS, routine and
fustiness. In the highest repute
we're literary and so-called humani-
tartan sciences, especially sciences
on antiquity-archaeology, ancient
literatures, history of ancient times,
etc. Natural sciences we're of less
repute, and much less space was
allotted to them.
1t is an Academy Of Science of
this kind which the October Revo-
luton inherited. The working
class ruthlessly destroyed all the
old nests Of the nobility, the mon
archy first of all But the Academy
Of Sciences we're treated very eau
tiously by the workers. Even if
political enemies had their seat
there, these enemies possessed a
weapon, necessary to the prole-
GatlaC' superior KnoWleoge.
THE working class knows the value
of science. 1t respects theory.
In the factory, the worker has be-
come accustomed to the idea that
productive processes are founded
on phenomena which must be stud
led. The majority of the old acad-
emicians hated and feared the
proletarian revolution, but the
workers, having assumed power,
did their utmost to protect the
Academy Of Science. In the civil
war years, in the midst Of hunger
and devastation, the working class
endeavored to create favorable con-
ditions for the work Of the acade~
1nicians.
Only a small number of the old
academicians went Immediately
with the workers, giving them will
ingly of their knowledge and help
ing them to build q new country.
Some Of them took refuge abroad,
and even now carry on there
frenzled campaign against the
Soviet Union. They shout through
out the world that science is de-
Stroyed In the Soviet Union, that
the working class is unable to Gre
ate It's OWL scientific forces, and
keeps the old learned intelligentzia
in a state Of slavery. This SANDER
is Of the same value as that about
forced labor" in the U.S.SR. But,
OF course, the working class finds it
most difficult to create its own
highly scientific cadres. One can
educate in ten years ones own en-
gineers, physicians, and generally
speaking, workers Of practical pro-