GEOPHYSICAL SCIENCE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21409, 27 February 1935, Page 11

GEOPHYSICAL SCIENCE

An Otago Lecturer's Studies Abroad BIG FINDS OF OIL IN THE UNITED STATES [THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, February 26. Some idea of his advanced study of geophysical prospecting at the Colorado School of Mines was given to-day by Dr. C. M. Focken. lecturer in physics at the University of Otago. Dr. Focken returned iroin America by the Mariposa last Tuesday, since when he has been motoring in the North Island. Ke has visited a Government prospecting party at Waihi, and has conferred with Dr. E. Marsden, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, on the subject of his work abroad.

Dr. Focken, who has been in America for 15 months, was recommended by the Government of New Zealand for a Commonwealth Fund Fellowship. The Commonwealth Fund of New York is a big foundation set up by the late Mrs Steven V. Harkness to promote education by travel, and general amitv between the British and American peoples. Dr. Focken stated that there were 25 graduates from Great Britain and five from the Dominions who received fellowships every year. The fellowships are tenable for two years; but at the end of 15 months, which included two long vacations travelling in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Dr. Focken was required by the university to return. Geophysics and Geology "Studies in geophysics," said Dr. Focken, "do not replace geology. It is, however, the science of determining by physical means on the surface the nature of the underground structure. It is largely of use to the Government of this country through the work of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and is applied to keep up gold production in the mining industry." Dr. Focken, who studied under Professor C. A. Heitand, a world authority on geophysics, emphasised the importance of the science for oil structure work. Through geophysics many big finds had been made by oil companies in America. "And," said Dr. Focken with a smile, "once the oil companies in America take anything up it goes on the map." Questioned as to the relation of geophysics to seismology, Dr. Focken stated that seismic prospecting was a branch of geophysics and that many of the instruments used in both sciences were the same. Geophysics, however, contained three other branches of prospecting which extended it beyond the realms of pure seismology. While abroad, he did some ordering ,for the Government of New Zealand, and the knowledge he had gained would almost certainly be of use to New Zealand.

Mr Roosevelt's Programme Referring to a cable message to the effect that Mr Franklin D. Roosevelt's predominance in American affairs was waning, Dr. Focken expressed the opinion that his position was still very strong, and that unless some extraordinary setback occurred he would go back at the next elections. "The new Congress," Dr. Focken said, "is strongly democratic, and the turbulence which the cabled report describes concerns internal details rather than any oppositional plans to the President." The chief criticism of the people was that the Government was not attempting to levy taxes to meet unemployment expenditure, which had been adding to the national debt for two years. The workers had been given a better deal by Mr Roosevelt than by any previous President, and there was very little militancy among them. Economic conditions were improving, though rather more slowly than the people expected or wanted. Dr. Focken found the radio talks of the President a strong feature tending toward political stability. They were very popular and very sensible, and seemed to have a calming influence on the population. "When I got off the boat at San Francisco and went into a hotel," he said, "I found everybody listening to one of the addresses with the closest attention. They just dared at you if you made any noise." Dr. Focken crossed to-night to the South Island, and expects to arrive in Dunedin by Thursday.