Evening star., 1941-09-27
Of Sturs, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
Ry Thomas r. Henry.

Ano Stuoy
Ry Thomas r. Henry.
Gathered in a century, -old, dilapidated
building facing bomb-wrecked Piccadilly,
in London, the worlds elder statesmen
in the realm OF the mind are mapping the
brave new world of tomorrow, which,
they are confident. must arise from the
flames of war.
Led in their discussions by the IT.
year-old astronomer and philosopher.
Sir Richard Gregory, and the 75-year-
old novelist and prophet, H. G. Wells.
leaders of world science of all the de-
mocracies who have found refuge in the
British capital are engaged in an in
tellectual stock taking. 1t Is an effort
to square the unprecedented advances
of material science in the past half
century-with whose picture as a whole
Sir Richard and Mr.. Wells probably
are better acquainted than any other
two living men-with the still barbaric
state of human society.
The conferences also are declaration
by British science that its voice must
be heard in any postwar settlement of
world affairs. Up to the present it has
been somewhat subdued in the turmoil
of war, and this years meeting of the
British Association for the Advancement
of Science, of which Sir Richard is
president, was not held.
Both Sir Richard Gregory and Mr.
Wells were the British leaders in
world movement which had gained great
headway at the outset of the war
essentially the establishment of a world
senate of science. 1t had reached the
point of an annual exchange of delegates
between the Associations for the Ad-
vancement of Science of the United
States. Great Britain and France. Sir
Richard was the first British delegate
to the American association three years
ago.
The proposal, stressed at that time,
was for a world intellectual union in
the one field of human endeavor that
is truly international with the idea that
understanding between nations could
best be promoted by the intellectual
leaders.
This world brain senate idea was
smashed by the war The British lead
ers, gathered in ancient Burlington
House, which long has been an intellec-
tual capital of the English-speaking
world, are reviving it on a somewhat
different basis.
London today-far more than any
American center-is the haven of the
leading minds of Holland, Belgium,
France, Poland, Czecho-Slovakia, Nor
way and Denmark. 1t has given refuge
to some of the most brilliant scientists
of Germany and Austria who managed
to escape Nazi dominance.
All these are being gathered into an
organization which will be ready to act
when peace comes
From the United States, in an espe-
cially prepared record, came the voice
of Albert Einstein and from Russia.
where they have passed through a pc
riod of great difficulty in maintaining
anything approaching intellectual free
dom. the voices of some of that countrys
foremost scientists
During the past six months the De-
partment of Agriculture has purchased
from American farmers more than 1,O0o,-
% 600 tons of concentrated foods for Great
Britain.
The purchases include close to 10o.-
100000 pounds of dried and frozen eggs,
100000 pounds of cheese and 20 900 900
pounds of dried milk.
Tomatoes, containing vitamin c, which
protects against scurvy, are represented
by nearly 2O0,0000O0 pounds of tomato
paste.
Vitamins, essential to maintain the
morale of the beleagured British popu-
lation, have been purchased to the extent
of close to 100000 pounds. The largest
purchases have been of vitamin A-gen-
eral anti-infection vitamin and also es-
sential to prevent complete blindness in
the blackouts. Enough of the vitamin
has been supplied to provide nearly
300 900 900, 100000 units An adult needs
about 1000 units day to maintain good
health. In addition, the Department of
Agriculture has purchased about 5000
pounds of pro-vitamin A, the yellow pig
ment in carrots, which is enough for
rs 900 900 900 units.
The purchases also include nearly
100000 pounds of thiamin chloride, the
so-caued nerve vitamin, which now is
being incorporated in bread in the United
States. 1t has been stressed by British
medical authorities as essential to keep
up the morale of the population. The
Department of Agriculture lists about
three tons of aScorbic acid, the anti
scurvy vitamin which the Germans are
alleged to have stored in large quanti-
ties just before the war.
Among the largest purchases have
been 100000 pounds of soy beans and
10000 900 pounds of dried beans.
How many of these supplies have been
sent to England under provisions of the
lease-lend bill cannot be stated. Some
undoubtedly have been stored in the
United States, awaiting favorable condi-
tions for shipment and in order to pile
up surplus.
The Department of Agriculture states
fhot fooJ COG ora For sf.a.