Evening star., 1941-09-19
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study

." eSSS'NaSiyS iISto
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
Germany's brains" are being badly
diluted by war and race purges.
Up to 1885 she had made much of the
remarkable scientific progress which
has been largely responsible for her
success, but since then her output Of
technically trained men has fallen rap
idly, according to a report just pub
ished by the National Resources Plan
ming Board, which has completed a
study of world research.
Owing to the unemployment situation
in Germany until six years ago, the re-
port states, the universities were crowded
with students and it appeared that Ger
man industry would not be able to absorb
all the graduates. There was serious
talk OF reducing the number of students
by Select1ve examination.
But, continues the report, "as the self
suff1ciency program developed unem-
ployment was practically eliminated and
the demand for technical men absorbed
all the unemployed with a resulting
shortage in technicians.
"The three years Of combined military
and work service required of all young
men, together with the rather unattrac-
tive economic standing of university
graduates, tended to decrease the num-
Der of students. Race purges and dis
couragement over the future contributed
to this shortage.
Student enrolment in nearly all uni
versity courses decreased in 1867 to
57.8 per cent of the 1928 figures. Those
in engineering sciences dropped from
14,477 to 5,188, and in mathematics and
natural sciences from 1851 to 4,6l6.
This decrease has continued, and with
the outbreak of the war some of the
universities closed. The owners have
largely been reduced from four to two
years.
"The research strength of the universi-
ties has been weakened in other ways.
Heads Of universities, If not members of
the National Socialist party, have been
replaced for the most part by members
appointed largely to prevent Subversive
activities. As faculty chairs have be-
come vacant for normal causes or other
reasons, they have been filled with men
chosen primarily for their party records
and secondary for their professional
qualifications.
"A generation may be required to re-
store these faculties to their former
high plane. Capable assistant professors
have been discouraged by not being
advanced. Students have been engaged
in party activities, with the result that
studies became of secondary interest
The government has brought pressure
to bear on the universities as we'll as on
industry to confine research to prob
lens connected with national defense"
The backbone Of research In German
universities, the report states, has been
the system whereby one professor had
associated with him 20 or 80 students
in the solution Of some problem. The
number OF such setups had been reduced
by two-thirds In the spring of 1899, with
losses still mounting in the following
summer
The headquarters of German research
the report explains, remains the Kaiser
Wilhelm Society for the Advancement
of Science, which, in 1887, consisted Of
q nf 9T i,,~t -,
physics, chemistry, biology, medicine,
history, law and literature. These insti-
tutes were supported jointly by the gov
ernment and by German industry. All
endowments were lost during the great
imitation.
Industry, in turn, withdrew much of
its support during the depression and
the government gave heavy aids. in re-
turn for pledges of loyalty The society
was described as "the general staff of
German science in our peaceful campaign
for the spiritual, cultural and material
advancement of our people"
Activities of some Of the Institutes it
is reported, have been greatly curtailed
since the start of the war.
At the same time, the report saws. the
largest industrial organization in Ger
many, the so-called I. G. Farbenindus-
trie, has lost many Of its key research
men In recent years, partly because of
race purges and partly because of the
necessity of transferring technically
trained men to manufacturing In some
instances requirements have been as high
as five or six young graduates to one