Evening star., 1939-01-14
Germany Is Losing
Lead in Chemistry,
Nazis Tell Country
Economy ond Defenses
Affected by Danger
To Standards
Ey csble to The Star.

BERLIN, Jan. 14.-Germany is
locing the leadership it has held for
many years in the field of chemistry
as well as in other sciences, Die
Chemische Industrie, journal of the
Nazi national compulsory organiza-
ton Of the chemical industry, de-
clares In It's latest number just pub
lished here.
Standards in German chemistry
already have been jeopardiZed to
such an extent that the national
economy and national defenses may
soon be affected, Die Chemische In
dustrie says.
The technical colleges are short
OF teachers, it declares. teachers
available are overworked, classes are
too big, and colleges are unable to
keep up with new scientific develop
mentS.
There are also too few students
to provide the number of trained
chemists which the nation requires
and standards of work are declining
among these. Laboratory equipment
IN the Reich is outdated and other
wise inadequate. Die Chemische
Industrie also asserts.
Need Thrice Number of Teachers.
The country's technical colleges
need at least three times as many
teachers of chemistry as they now
have, according to Die Chemische
1ndustrie. Glasses now average 10
to 20 students per instructor
whereas the best ratio is six STU
dents per instructor.
Under present conditions, teachers
are so overburdened with classwork
and administration" that they
cannot devote the necessary time
and energy to research, Die Chem
ische Industrie says. This is espe-
cially serious now, it goes on, be-
cause of the speed with which
chemistry Is changing and advanc-
ing.
One of the chief reasons for this
shortage of experts is that the in
dustry has hired many away by the
of1er OF better salaries, Die Chemi-
sche 1ndustrie declares.
Lack Of Students Serious.
The lack of an adequate number
OF students is also serious. it saws
The Reich will need at least twice
as many new chemists during the
next several years as the nations
schools will turn out, it asserts.
Here again the journal complain.
OF inadequate compensation. There
are as many theological students ir
German universities today as there
are students of all branches Of
science put together, it says, wherea.
only 10 years ago there were twice
as many technical students as those
studying theology. This reversal OF
ratios is largely due to the higr
salaries available to the clergy, ir
the opinion of Die Chemische In.
dustrie.
The assuring of an adequate
number of trained chemists has
become today both quantitatively
and qualitatively more than evel
before question of life and deatf
for Germany it says.
Matter of Life and Death.
The time is past in which it wa.
still possible to engage in Theoretical
discussions on this point. The time
has come today when not only
official and semo- Official quarter.
but also the chemical industry it.
self must recognize that the prob.
lem of providing adequate number.
OF trained chemists has become 6
life and death matter for our ma.
tional economic independence anc
national defenses."
Referring to what it describes as
the shortcomings of German labo-
ratories. Die Chemische Industrie
says:
The most serious consequence OF
these inadequacies of equipment in
our institutions for scientific re-
search is the fact that leadership ir
research In series of fields has beer,
lost to foreign countries. Character
istically. this has taken place notably
In fields requiring the most expen.
sive apparatus and instruments with
which Germany is inadequately
provided"
The journal calls for government
Intervention to deal with these con-
ditiOnS. Chemical research mist be
subsidized by the state as we'll as by
industry, 1t says; the state must pay
subsidies to working chemists to en-.
courage more youths to take up this
career; employers must provide
their chemists with paid holidays fo1
graduate study, and other measures
are urgently required if grave con-
sequences are to be avoided.
Copyright. 1880. by Chicago Daily News
1nc)