Evening star., 1938-09-11
Fame-thro,oing tanks in action.

unemployment" resulting from scientific
discoveries. Confident that this Is only
passing phase, they yet feel, for the first
time in the history Of science. a sense of
responsibility to the future
In the British Isles-for that matter in
any country in Europe-the problem is far
from academic. Tragic effects, there is
plenty OF reason to believe, will not be
gradual. They are likely to come suddenly
and without warning. So when the proposal
was placed before the British association to
make the movement international there was
an Unexpectedly enthusiastic response, es-
pecially. among the younger members.
Science, Of course always has been inter-
national. 1t has constituted world brain
trust with free exchange of discoveries
Such organizations as the International
Astronomical Union, which met this sum-
mer at Stockholm: the International Phys-
illogical Union, which met at Zurich: the
World Geological Congress, which met last
summer at Moscow, and the International
Chemical Union, which will meet in Switz-
erland next summer, have completely tram
scended national border lines. At such
gatherings there has been almost complete
frankness and delegates from all over the
world have been inspired with q common
purpose-the discovery of truth without
regard to its economic or military manipu-
lation. That has not been the scientists
business.
Only within the last two years has a
contrary spirit been discernible, with the
apparent deliberate manipulation of science
itself-quite aside from the uses to be
made of tin the interests of groups Last
spring there was a reaction of shocked
disgust when the organ of the British as
sociation, Nature printed q letter from the
celebrated German physicist and Nobel
prize winner, j. Stark, in which, with an
astounding naiveness, he set forth the view
that a scientific discovery made by a Jew
was per Sc worthless because the Jewish
mind was not a factual mind, and that
consequently Jews-who have perhaps con-
to scientific advance during the past
century-should be discouraged from re-
search. Nature printed the letter without
comment None was necessary. Stark was
no simpleton. He was one Of the most bril-
liant physicists Of his generation 1t was
almost unbelievable that mind like that
deliberately could have perpetrated such
monstrosity.
A Terrible Warning Sounded.
The Stark letter was more than anus
ing. BY implication it was terrible warm
ing. Science itself, not the uses of science,
was being bent to the exaltation of a group
to the exclusion of others. British scien-
fists wondered If the time had not come
for action on their own part-for the ex-
ploitation Of science per Sc for the benefit
of mankind and for the prevention Of the
destruction of mankind.
So at the Cambridge meeting men like
Herman Levy, brilliant Edinburgh mathe-
matician; j. B. S. Bernal OF the University
of London, one of the worlds most eminent
crystallographers, and Lawrence Hogbein,
author Of Mathematics for the Millions"
devoted evening after evening to speaking
before student groups and groups Of younger
scientists. They had no clearly defined
program. But they stressed constantly that
the scientists themselves must develop =
professional conscience and recognize re-
sponsibility for the results Of their work.
Perhaps the most interesting Of these
younger groups, meeting one night In
the old lecture room Of sir Isaac Newton