Evening star., 1941-03-23

DR.. F. K. Moulton Sees
Federation With Britain
If 'Demoeroeies' Win
Warning that the world will face
the greatest crisis in its history when
the war ends, Dr. Forest Ray Moul-
ton, permanent secretary of the
American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science, declared last
night that the preservation of peace
''for a long time will rest funda-
mentally upon force"
In addressing the final session of
the joint meeting of pi Gamma Mu
national social science honor society
and the Academy of World Eco
nomics, he said that if the "democ-
racies" win, the only source of power
strong enough to maintain the peace
of the world will be q federation OF
Great Britain and the United States.
The subject of DR.. Moulton's ad-
dress was The Natural Sciences and
Social Crises" He shared speaking
honors with his brother, Dr.. H. G.
Moulton, president of the Brooklngs
Institution, whose subject was The
Social Sciences and Social Crises"
Denies Scientists Responsibility.
DR.. S. Howard Patterson, profess
sor of economics at the University
of Pennsylvania and national pres
ident of Pi Gamma Mu, presided
at last nights meeting, which was
held in the auditorium of the
United States Chamber of Com
merce. New members from Ameri-
can, Catholic, George Washington
and Georgetown Universities were
inducted into the national honor
society.
DR.. H. C. Moulton. the first speak
er. denied that social scientists were
responsible for the present world
crisis. since they did not determine
either governmental or business
policies. "These policies have been
determined in general by the public,
and not by social scientists he said.
Economists, he pointed out, have
had comparatively little influence on
industrial and labor policies.
War Consequence of Science.
On the basis of past history, and
mans inheritance of violence, the
conclusion is inevitable that inter-
national and domestic strife will con-
tinue. and there is nothing in cur
rent developments to give hope for
the contrary, DR.. Forest Ray Moul-
ton declared.
1T is bitter conclusion that be-
cause of the very nature of inheri-
tance we cannot in the near future
BECOME radically different and bet
ter than our predecessors in the
past" he said. "Yet some consola-
ton can be derived from the fixity
of our characteristics. We cannot
become rapidly worse"
The present war is largely a con-
sequence of science, he declared. for
the reason that science has made
essentially all the peoples of the
earth mutually dependent. and con-
sequently has provided occasions for
differences of interests and for con-
fict"
Fundamental Virtues Dying"
While technology, in recent years,
has caused enormous economies in
production, and greatly increased
the productivity of labor, the desire
to enjoy what others have produced
has also increased with amazing ra-
pidity, DR.. Moulton asserted.
ff,,, RI fol irfJ iy,
tegrities that have been character
istic of our people are rapidly dy-
ing" he warned. The feeling of
responsibility of men and women
for our civilization is disappearing !
Witness our attitude toward the
World War. We will provide mate |
rails in unlimited quantities to the |
democracies for use in our defense |
in return for all the payment they |
can give. but we will not share the |
responsibility that our actions imply. |
Il inveigh not so much against our
actions, as against the reasons we |
shamelessly give for them. They are
typical of the spirit of our times.
We are we'll on the road that rich
and degenerate Babylon and Rome |
took to destruction. I do not ex-
pect. however, that we shall travel |
that road to the end, or much |
further"
New Members of Society.
Those inducted into Pi Gamma |
Mu included Mrs. Joshua Evans, jr., |.
and Alfred Henry Lawson, members /
of the Board of Trustees of George
Washington University; Fred E.
Nessell, G. w. registrar, and Edward .
c. Acheson, associate professor of |
finance at G. w. From the George |
town faculty were the Rev. John E.
Grattan, dean of the college of arts
and sciences, and Brian A. Nc
Grath. From the American Uni |
versity faculty were DR.. Hiram M
Stout and Miss Imogene Ellis.
DR.. Amos E. Taylor of Johns Hop
kins University presided at the third
session held yesterday afternoon at |
the Brookings Institution. Discus
sions centered around the economics
of the present world crisis. There
were two addresses, one by DR.. Josef
Solterer of Georgetown University |
on the implications of the Capital
istic Order" and the other by DR..
Rudolf A. Clemen of American Uni
versity on Technology and the
Social Order"
The panel discussion was directed |
by DR.. Arthur Edward Burns of |
George Washington University. DR..
Walter J. O'Connor of Georgetown
University and DR. A. G. Taylor of |
the Cnllepe of William and Mary.