Evening star., 1935-12-29
December 20. 1885


We owe to modern science the
rescue of western civilization from this
superstition. Galileo's studies of dy-
namics as well as his telescope showed
that facts were to be found by observ-
ing nature rather than by searching
ancient writings. Newton's success in
solving the riddle of the planets estab-
lished in mems minds the fact that we
live in world of law.
Guided by the truths of physics,
the inventor and the engineer have
freed US from much of the slavery of
physical drudgery. Seeing these sue
cesses of science as applied to other
aspects of nature, men willingly con-
troll their lives in accord with the laws
of hygiene, and a healthier nation
results.
"Ithas gradually become recognized
that human relations are also subject
to natural laws, and these form the
fundamental basis of morality, sociol-
ogy and economics. Thus, in an era
when many old conventions become
outworn. the clear teaching of science
is of especial value: If man will learn
the truth and abide by it, that truth
shall make him free.
1T is of especial interest to note
that the nations which are the leaders
of the scientific world are those in
which. in all forms of enterprise. such
as agriculture, business and politics,
individual initiative is at premium.
THE farmers who have the imagina-
ton and self-reliance to carve an en-
pire out of wilderness also have the
imagination to develop the tools neces-
sary to do the job, and the world is
enriched by new agricultural imple-
ments which make an industry instead
of a plodding drudgery Of farming.
Every citizen is taught that he
shares the responsibility for his CON-
munity's welfare. and knows that if he
has the necessary qualities of leader
ship he may take his place in the coun-
cils of government.
But these qualities of imagination,
clear thinking and initiative are pre-
cisely those which are required to
make notable advances in science.
Truly it is not chance that a nation in
which initiative and self-reliance are
held as high virtues should become the
leader of the world in science.
"Our nations scientific leadership
results, however. not only from its
breeding of scientists with imagination
and enterprise. By far the larger part
of the fundamental scientific work now
being done in this country is financed
directly or indirectly by men whose
own imagination and enterprise brought
them wealth, and who have seen in
science the work of kindred spirits
aimed toward the enrichment OF life.
The notable work of the Rockefeller
Institute in the eradication of yellow
fever and hookworm; Carnegie's Mt.
Wilson Observatory. which has shown
us that we live in a universe hundreds
of light years in extent; the endow-
ments of such great universities as
Chicago, Harvard, Columbia and
others devoted to all fields Of research
- these and many more have been
made possible through the vision of
leaders of American enterprise whose
industry has brought them to the top.
"It has been shown US that science
and industry working together are
capable of supplying us with more of
the means of varied life than we would
have dreamed of a generation ago.
There is no reason why an appropriate
adjustment of our economic system
should not carry US far in advance of
the stage we knew at that time. The
physical means of supplying these
needs are now in our hands.
The scientific method of formulat-
ing hypotheses. carefully testing their
consequences and applying newly dis
covered laws has been successfully ex-
tended to biological and DSychological