The Dominion TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1915. THE MOBILISATION OF SCIENCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2488, 15 June 1915, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1915. THE MOBILISATION OF SCIENCE

The letter which Me. H. G. Wells, the well-known novelist, has sent to the newspapers regarding the defects of the British method of waging war expresses in a striking manner the thoughts that are passing througu the minds of a good many people at the present time, but theory and practice are two 1 very dinerent things. It is all very well for Mr. Wells to tell us that the capabilities of our aeroplanes should be increased, and that some counter-stroke against the submarine ought to be discovered, but new inventions do not make their appearance automatically just at the moment when they are wanted. Even Governments cannot do everything they may consider to be desirable merely by saying the word. It is a simple thing to placc an order for ' "an aeroplane capablc of overtaking a Zeppelin," but the "delivery of , the goods" may be a much more J difficult matter. Still our scientific 1 resources are quite as great as those of Germany, and the inventive power of our chemists, artisans, and engineers should be able to make our war machinery as efiicieut as that of our enemies. Some people arc ' inclined to, believe that the Germans arc ahead'of us in the matter of utilising the discoveries of modern science for fighting purposes. Mr. Wells appears to be of this opinion. : He states that "we have been recruiting millions of infantry, while ' the Germans have realised that for ' defensive purposes one well-protect-ed skilled machine-gunner is superior to a row of riflemen." The machine-pun is certainly playing an important part in this war, but final victory cannot be achieved by defensive methods, and the- "millions of infantry" are absolutely necessary if the war is to be brought to a triumphant conclusion. In spite of the work of her "skilled machinegunners" Germany .finds ample use for her "millions of infantry," and would like to have the services of millions more. It must, however, be admitted that when the struggle began the Germans were in a much better position as regards the supply of gitns and animunitrtJn than tho Allies. Germany was thoroughly organised for war, but judging by the efforts which sho is now making to obtain supplies from America, her stores must be getting low, while the Allies are daily increasing their output of munitions. It may bo taken for granted that ( the British Government are giving attention to quality as well as to ' quantity, and that they are receiv- ' ing assistance _ in this matter from the highest scientific authorities. ' Ml, Wells's insistence upon the necessity of securing the services of "scientific and technically competent men" shows that he considers that there, is at present something lack: ing from this . point of view; arid this opinion is shared by many others. .The Government is said to be making use of the skill of the i best experts in the. land, but it is ; doubtful whether British science is organised for the conflict as completely as it could be. Are British scientists systematically devoting ' their time and abilities to the work 1 of making the explosives used, by our troops more effective? Are they ! endeavouring in every other way to ' make tho-fullest practical use of ] their knowledgo and experienco with ' the object of confounding the de- ' vices of the enemy? One of the 1 foremost British chemists (Dr. M. : O, Forster) recently declared that : he, in common with many others, • offered himself in any capacity, how- 1 ever modest, to the Board of Trade ! Committee. That was at the beginning of the war. In January last 1 lie remarked in. a- letter to. a London ; newspaper: "We are still in outer darkness, and I work for. the Na- 1 tional Relief Fund, which, up to 1 the present, has been barren of 1 chemical problems." Dr. Forster believes that his experience is typical. It shows the need of mobilising the scientific forces of the country on some carefully-thought- ■ out plan. Dr. Forster states that conscription _ will not be required. All that British scientists ask is the opportunity for voluntary service to the State. They want "material and a problem." Mr. Wells's letter indicates one or two of the many problems which are urgently demanding attention. Every university laboratory in the country should be placed at the disposal of the War Office, and the Professors ought to be continually making ex : poriments with the object of increasing the effectiveness of tho nation's means of attack and defence. Perhaps more is being done in this way than is generally known, but statements which have been made by prominent scientists from time to time convey tho impression that nothing like tho full strength of the intellectual forces of Britain has yet been brought into action. The use of poisonous gases, by the German armies is making tho'British public ask what counter-stroke the military authorities intend to deli ver. Wo know that a scientific problem has been created, and that some of tho greatest scientists in the world are only too anxious- to give the British Government the benefit of their knowledge. But we do not know what is actually being done. Franco is moving in the ma tier. In a cablegram which appeared in yesterday's issue of The Dominion it was announced that the French Government ha; made a committee of tho Academy of Sciences an essentia) oart "f H* MlltliW »okl His rum. .jfiifcteQ is P&W. eeAgidejias Ity best.

reply to the enemy's use of asphyxiating gases, and the possibility of ' finding some substitute for high explosive'shells in tho destruction of barbed-wire entanglements. These are two very urgent, and practical questions, worthy of the attention of tho best brains in the country. Professor Allmand, of Liverpool, regards it as quite certain that Germany lias mobilised her chemists, physicists, and engineers, and set I hem their war tasks. In proof of this, lie points to the fact that two professors of the Kaiser-AYiliifxm Institute at Berlin met with a serious accident in December last whilst experimenting with high explosives. One lost his life and the other his hand. Both were capable experimenters, and Professor Allmand says the disaster would not be due to unskilful work, but to the unusual power of the exnlosive they wero working on. It would be a mistake to take too seriously all the German boasting regarding the great and terrible things their scientists arc going to do in order to secure the downfall of the Kaiser's foes; but it would be extremely foolish to shut our eyes to the fact that the Germans have shown remarkable ability in putting sci.ntific discoveries to practical use. German science has been thoroughly organised for war, and recent events have emphasised the necessity of the full scientific power of Britain. France, and Russia being more systematically utilised for war purposes.