Evening star., 1942-08-27
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.

| Uncle Sam has been strangely re-
| juvenated by the war.
| For the first three months of this
| year, according to statistics just COM
| piled by the Public Health Service, the
| death rate has been the lowest In his
tory for these winter months-less than
IL per 1000.
The birth rate. which started up
ward last year after long decline, con-
tinued to increase. Slightly more than
ID children were born for each 1000 of
the populations per cent higher than
the rate for the first quarter of 1941 and
IL per cent higher than during the first
quarter of 1910.
AT the same time the marriage rate
constantly is soaring, Census Bureau
statistics show.
The mortality rate from all causes
during the first quarter of the year was
nearly per cent less than for the same
period in 1941 and 10 per cent less than
the rate for 1940
This decrease was made possible, Pub
lie Health Service statisticians report.
by decrease in the death rate from
every important disease except cancer.
Over one-half of it, however, resulted
from the unusually few victims of pneu-
monia and influenza This is primarily
due to the introduction of the various
sulfa drugs.
Effects OF tire and gas ratoning are
reflected in the fact that deaths from
automobile accidents dropped per cent
below the rate for the corresponding
period last year. The decrease is ex-
pected to be still more marked the rest
of the year.
The increase in the number of mar
riages has been phenomenal Complete
statistics for 1941 just released by the
Census Bureau show rate of 1876 per
1000.
With the outbreak of hostilities in Eu-
rope in the fall of 1939-long before
there was any suggestion that the
United States would be involved in the
war-the number of weddings rose about
one per 1000. The rate has continued
to go up ever since.
During 1941 there were 1,679 900 mar
riages, an increase of 114,00O over 1910
and 100000, or % per cent, over 1899.
There is a likelihood, however, that
the same pattern will evolve as during
the First World War. In 1917 there was
great increase in weddings. The rate
dropped of very sharply in 1918. with
SO many Of the young men in Europe.
But the second highest rate ever re-
corded was in 1920, when most of the
soldiers were home.
Then there was a gradual drop to
little more than 10 per 1000.
Passage of the Selective Service Act in
September, 1910, was followed imme-
diately by an enormous increase in mar
riages. Last December, when war was
declared, was second only to June OF
the same year in the number of we'd
dings, although usually this is an of
month for Cupid.
A method by which the international
Morse code, chief means Of world COM
munication by wireless, can be learned
in from seven to nine days, has been
developed by the Psychology Department
Of Columbia University.
1t Is result of experiments by Prof
Fred S. Keller with Signal Corps soldiers
at Fort Monmouth, N. j. The method
now Is being used In training enlisted
men at Fort Edwards, Mass.
Based on the psychological principle
loo hyy
as soon as they are made and progress
ing from the difficult to the easy, the
new procedure can be learned by in
dividuals and groups even when no
teacher is available, as 1t requires only
a phonograph and set of nine records
on which are reproduced the signals and
their corresponding words.
The 36 characters and 10 digits which
are used in the code, Prof. Keller says,
range from the very difficult to the
very easy. They are broken up into five
groups and the hardest ones taught
first. Students get over-training of the
difficult signals in the new system and
pick up speed quickly as they find the
code getting easier and easier.
The old way taught the signals with
out regard to difficulty A student found
the code increasingly difficult to master
and was likely to become bored and
confused.
Under the new system, by giving one
hour q day for one school term to this
work high school student can learn
to take down at least 10 words min
ute. The minimum army speed require
ment is five words a minute.