SCIENTIST RETURNS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26620, 17 November 1947, Page 4

SCIENTIST RETURNS

DISTINGUISHED CAREER FIRST-HAND IMPRESSIONS OF GERMANY INTELLECTUAL ISOLATION From Nelson College to London University, further study in Germany, a lectureship at the Imperial College of Science, the whole intermingled with research culminating in a contract to work on one of the problems of gas turbine engines—that briefly sums up the career of Mr David M. Tombs, M.Sc., A.M.1.E.E., who arrived from London by the Mahana on Saturday. Mr Tombs is on a brief visit to the Dominion, and left last night on his way to his parents’ home in Wellington after an absence of some 15 years. Early this year Mr Tombs was one of eight British educationists sent to Germany to report on the conditions in universities there. “It was a salur tary experience,” he commented when interviewed by the Daily Times on Saturday. “ I am certain that it would be beyond the imagination of most New Zealanders to understand conditions in Central Europe to-day," added Mr Tombs. Apart from the obvious shortages of necessities* he said, there was an acute isolation intellectually. “After the first war this intellectual vacuum was filled by Hitler, whose promises gave hopes of a brighter future. “Precisely the same conditions apply to-day,” said Mr Tombs, who stressed the necessity for seeing that history did not repeat itself. Nazis Still Dangerous The seeds of another war were waiting to germinate in the hearts of the tens of thousands of malcontents in Germany. Former Nazis now denied responsible positions were likely to band together and cause trouble unless they could be presented with something positive and vital in the way of future policy. In his opinion, one of the most important things was to give Germans who had been cut off from the outside world by the barrier of Nazism a clear picture of the affairs of the world to-day. “ The mere act of sending a copy of a weekly or daily paper to Ger-

many is one way in which New Zealanders can help to safeguard the future,” he said. German students were starved for news of the outside world, as their papers were subject to rigid control and, without an understanding of the problems of other nations, it was difficult for them to re-orientate themselves and their country. Research Activities The research work on which Mr Tombs is engaged in connection with gas turbine engines may most siihply be described as the application of frequency modulation to measurements. Mr Tombs explained that metals have now been developed to withstand the terrific temperatures generated in jet engines and scientists were now grappling with mechanical problems. One of these was vibration in the engines, and he was at present working on this aspect. In connection with this task he hoped to perfect a means of measuring temperatures instantaneously. “At present it takes about half a second to record a temperature and gas explosions in an engine are over before that time has elapsed.” he said. Mr Tombs, as well as engaging in research under a contract with the British Government, is continuing his work as a lecturer in telecommunications at the Imperial College of Science, where the head of his department is Professor Willis Jackson. Asked if there were any possibility of his returning to New Zealand he was blunt and direct in answering, “If New Zealand wants her specialists to return from overseas she must make it worth their while,” he said. Many New Zealanders would come home if salaries were more tempting. On his way to Wellington Mr Tombs will spend a day in Christchurch conferring with members of the staff of Canterbury College. He is a council member of the Association of University Teachers and is anxious to see the movement put on a firm footing in this country.