Evening star., 1936-12-11
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.


Possibility of future co-ordinating
groups Of leading scientists, engineers,
sociologists and economists to mesh
the activities of mankind into con-
structive progress was suggested by
DR.. John c. Merriam, president of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington,
in his report presented to the annual
meeting of the trustees, held here this
morning. 4
This was in answer to the oft-made
charge that man, in his accelerated
conquest of nature, may be setting up
an agent for his own eventual self
destruction. Without actually advo-
eating such super-academies, Dr. Mer-
riam said that If wisely organized they
at least would not hinder" human
progress.
At the same time DR.. Merriam
pointed to the possibility that agricul-
ture may be on the verge of as notable
revolution and development as has
characterized industry during the past
century.
bAiC VI uotCCS WIN IlcdIO u.
Merriam's report was former Presi-
dent Herbert Hoover, in Washington
to attend this meeting for the first
time since March. 1888
A budget of s1.62o,237 was approved
for the coming year.
New Trustees Elected.
The following new trustees were
elected: Robert Woods Bliss of WASH
ington. former Ambassador to Argen-
tina: Henry B. Morgan of New York,
j. p Morgan g. Co., partner. and
Charles p Taft, I'd, of Cincinnati.
Director for the past 20 years Of
many of the most notable programs
of scientific research in history, DR..
Merriam today stressed the funda-
mental philosophy which has arisen
from his experience and which con-
stitutes essentially q new viewpoint
in scientific research. The time is at
hand. he said, when the relationships
Of different fields of knowledge must
be considered as of equal importance
to the extension of the separate fields
themselves, to prevent science working
at destructive cross purposes within
itself. Mankind, he intimated. has
been busily and ignorantly wrecking
his inestimable heritage of millions of
generations since life was established
on earth.
Common Viewpoint Important.
From a number Of directions" DR..
Merriam said, I'VE have the SuggeS-
ton that for guidance in development
of new ideas and for the protection Of
society, it is desirable to set up types
gether scientists, engineers and the
forward looking students of social and
economic problems with view to
keeping close watch on related devel-
opments in these several fields. The
finding of something like common
viewpoint for investigators In these
subjects may be difficult, but it will
have increasing importance. Such an
activity might be established in the
hope of fitting new ideas and new
techniques to new industries and new
phases of social and economic en-
deavor. II developed guardedly, such
q forward-looking program would
presumably not hinder the advance Of
civilization and might be expected to
aid In adjustment Of human groups
to some Of the changes which inev-
ttably take place"
Quoting from the report Ct the in
stitution's own Division Of Plant BIZ
ology, DR.. Merriam said that within
recent years there have been some indi-
cations that agriculture may be
entering upon period of fundamental
change in practice which may prove
to be quite as drastic and far-reaching
as occurred in manufacture and
transportation as result Of the indus
trial revolution century ago."
This fundamental change may arise
in large measure, the report to the
trustes stressed, from new discoveries
regarding the growth mechanisms Of
plants and their relationships to their
environments such as now are coming
cut Of the institutions plant biology
laboratories. Such are basic investiga-
tions In photosynthesis, the process by
which the plant builds up complex car
bon and hydrogen compounds out Of
carbon dioxtdD and water.