INSTITUTE OP CHEMISTRY 179 INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY. PROFESSIONAL CHEMISTS AND THE WAR. THE Thirty-Seventh Annual General Meeting of the Institute of Chemistry was held on March 1 at the new premises of the Institute, 30, Russell Square. Professor Meldola, the retiring President, in referring to the work of the year, indicated the activities of professional chemists in connection with the war.The Council of the Inetitute had supported the counter manifesto to which many British scholars and public men had subscribed in answer to the document emanating from analogous circles in Germany. The Institute had also been instrumental in directing the attention of the Government to the desirability of appointing a Special Committee to deal with the question of supplies of chemical products for which the country had hitherto been dependent to a preponderating extent upon German factories.Dealing with the question of dyestuffs, Professor Meldola reminded the members of the warning he had given in the last paper read before the Chemical Section of ths Society of Arts in 1886. Systematic inquiries made among the consumers revealed the fact that even at that time 90 per cent.of the dyestuffs then in use here were of foreign manufacture. No lost ground had been regained, and'before the outbreak of the war we were still importing nine-tenths of our colouring matters from Germany and Switzerland. The development of this industry abroad had been due to the recognition and utilisation by manufacturers of the results of chemical research.Early in August the President of the Board of Trade appointed a Committee, under the Chairmanship of Lord Haldane, for the purpose of advising the Government with respect to the means of meeting the national requirements, and from this Committee180 INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY there was subsequently formed a Sub-Committee, under the Chairmanship of Lord Moulton, for dealing especially with the manufacture of dyestuffs.A scheme formu- lated by the Government in consultation with a Committee representative of the great dye-using organisations was put forward early this year, and, after full discussion by those immediately concerned, was finally referred back for modification. The scheme was considered unsatisfactory, but the Government determined not to allow the project to fall through, and a new scheme, which differs from the first in certain important particulars, was subsequently launched.A considerable number of the dye-consuming companies appeared to be favourably disposed towards it. I t should be clearly understood, however, that neither the Board of Trade Advisory Committee nor the Dyestuffs Sub-committee was in any way responsible for either of those schemes, The grounds on which public action was imperatively called for were set forth most clearly in an address delivered by Lord Moulton at Manchester on December 8 of last year.He had stated explicitly that he only held himself responsible for the advice that the Government should take action, but not for the particular shape or form which that action should assume.The principle had been adopted that there should be established a company in which the consumers should be the chief shareholders, and which the Government should subsidise by advancing capital at a certain rate of interest, to the extent of ~1,000,000. The scheme was in a way a co-operative one, and, for the first time in this country, a distinct proposal was made for the establishment of a State- aided industry. In view of the great interests at stake, the policy appeared to be a sound one, and this was admitted by both political parties when the proposal was mentioned in the House of Commons, in November, by the President of the.Board of Trade. It was a matter of importance to the representatives of the chemical profession that their aspect of this great industry should be kept well to the fore in the scheme, and in any other scheme that might hereafter be put forward. They desired to see the restoration of the coal-tar colour industry to this country, and not only restored, but permanently retained after the war. The discussions of the Government schemes in various parts of the country by dye-consuming organisa- tions, Chambers of Commerce, and so forth, had all centred round political or economic questions ; the vital principle-viz., adequate chemical control-had been subordinated or left out of consideration altogether. While there was much wrang- ling over the question 8s to the method by which the industry should be established and maintained here, whether by free trade or protection, or subvention, or by any other device, the consideration of the questions whether a few years hence there would be anything in the way of dyestuffs worth protecting, whether there would be a sufficient basis of material products left for the politicians and economists and business people to wrkngle over, was overlooked.I t was not a purely business problem which the Government had undertaken to solve; it was primarily a chemical problem.It was not even a business problem in the ordinary trade sense, because the main object was at first to supply our own wants, and the chief consumers were to be the chief producers. The question of business in the sense of outside trade was, for the present, remote. The conditions which had to be met, if this country was to be once more theINSTITUTE OF CHESIISTRY 181 home of the colour industry, were certainly imperfectly understood by the public.Even those most concerned-those who were invited to subscribe to the capital- appeared in most cases to have an idea that all that was necessary was to find the money, secure the Government aid, appoint a board of business directors, and lo! the industry would forthwith spring into existence, ready to cope with all emergen- cies. What were the facts of the case? About five hundred different dyestuffs of definite composition had been given to tinctorial industry as the products of chemical research.Of these a certain number only could be and were being made in this country, The total output of our factories was, at present, inadequate for the requirements of our textile industries.The first step to be taken, therefore, was to enlarge and develop existing factories, so that the dyes which could be made here should be turned out in larger quantities. This necessity had been provided for in the Government scheme, and “so far so good.” If the extension of the existing factories still produced insufficient supplies, new factories must be erected and equipped.That also was provided for in the scheme; but if we want to establish the industry here permanently we must look beyond all this. Where should we be left after the war? We should be in possession of processes for making a certain number of dyes, and the supply of their products might possibly be sufficient for the particular purposes for which they were required.But there would still be an outstanding number of other products which had never yet been made here, and for the working out of these processes no combination of ( I business ” talent was of the slightest value. It was not a business question, but a chemical question, and it was by chemical research alone that our colour industry could be saved.The German colour industry has been built up by the utilisation of the results of research carried on in the factories and Universities and technical schools for a period of over forty years! To suppose that we could retrieve our position by starting a company, the directorate of which was to consist solely of business people, was ludicrous. The large and representative body of dye-users and producers which form the Dyeware Supply Inquiry Committee of the Society of Dyers and Colourists fully endorsed this view, and forwarded to the Board of Trade a resolution, passed at Manchester last month, in support thereof.It was satis- factory to learn that there were dye-consuming organisations which had grasped the situation scientifically. To imagine that a dyer, however skilful he might be, was by virtue of his ocoupation necessarily competent to direct the affairs of a company concerned with the manufacture of the dyes which he used was about as sensiblo as the assumption that a person who could tell the time by his watch was thereby qualified to undertake the direction of a factory for the construction of chronometers.One feature of the new scheme which the chemical profession would view with favour was the distinct recognition of research as a necessity for the development of the industry.The Government ‘( will, for ten years, grant not more than 6100,000 for experimental and laboratory work.” That was certainly a concession which marked an advance in official opinion for which they were grateful.It would be for the satirist of the future to point out that it required a European war of un- paralleled magnitude to bring about this official recognition of the bearing of182 INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY science upon industry. Who was to direct this research? A directorate of purely business people would certainly be incompetent ; a board composed of dye-users could do no more than indicate what dyestuffs were needed.True, it was proposed that the company should take powers to secure the assistance of a committee of experts, but this appeared to be simply a reversion to the policy of “ drift.” The experts were, as usual in this country, to be subordinated and their assistance W ~ S to be invoked at the discretion of a Board, the members of which could have no real knowledge of the conditions necessary for prod-acing the materials they required.Would they be competent to point out dangers ahead? The “ staple products” upon which they were asked to stake their capital might, a few years hence, be superseded by the products of subsequent discovery. The policy of attempting to run a highly specialised and rapidly developing branch of organic chemical industry by a company of business people, with expert assistance when required, was fatal if it wae intended to establish the industry permanently here.The group of industries which had arisen from the products of the tar still was not going to remain stagnant after the war, and it was scientific guidance, and not mere assistance, that would keep them alive.I t was the expert, and the expert only, who could foresee the course of development, who could keep in touoh with the progress of research, and direct with intelligence the campaign against competitors. If such scientific direction was withheld, all schemes were sooner or later bound to end in failure. If this second warning to the country, after a period of about thirty years, were unheeded, it would be so much the worse for the country ! To other branches of manufacture in which our dependence upon foreign products had been forcibly revealed by the war, professional chemists were able to render considerable service.It had long been known that laboratory glass and porcelain apparatus and filter-paper had been mainly supplied from abroad, and that large quantities of pure chemical reagents and of the special chemicals required for analytical or research work had borne non-British labels.This state of affairs called for prompt action, and the Councils of the Institute of Chemistry and the Society of Public Analysts had acted conjointly as a Committee for dealing with this matter of such vital importance to the profession.The inquiries instituted by this Committee soon brought the fact that failure in the supply of laboratory glass apparatus would not only cripple the work of the chemists, but would also influence to a serious extent certain important industries the dependence of which upon supplies of suitable glass had not a t first been foreseen. In connection with these inquiries it was at a later period considered necessary, in view of the great national interests involved, that the Institute should take part in giving practical aid to would-be manufacturers.For this purpose ’a Glass Research Committee was appointed, and was still carrying on its work. Formulas supplied by members of the Committee had been made in the laboratory of the Institute and submitted to the recognised tests.The experiments had perforce been carried out on a smdl scde, but the co-operation of a number of glass manufacturers had been secured, and the results would be tested on a fairly large scale under oomplete expert control. Not the least important of the glass problems was the production of a, suitable glass for miners’ safety-lamps, the necessary protecting shades for which had also beenINSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY 183 hitherto mainly imported from abroad.This particular kind of glass was of pressing importance in relation to coal-mining, and it was certainly humiliating to learn from the makers of these lamps that for glass of the required quality capable of complying with the Home Office tests we have been so largely dependent upon foreign glass manufacturers.The action of the Institute throughout had been governed entirely by patriotic motives; the work was being carried on as a national duty, and the results were placed unreservedly at the disposal of all manufacturers who wished to avail themselves of them. The efforts which were made by certain firms, as well as by our own Committee, were leading to results which held out a good prospect of the manufacture of many kinds of chemical glassware being established on a permanent footing in this country, so that at no distant future British laboratories would be stocked with home-made apparatus. With respect to porcelain it W ~ S satisfactory to be enabled to report that crucibles and dishes equal to the best Berlin ware were now being produced in this country at practically the same price.I t W&S equally gratifying to know that the filter-paper problem had also been practically solved-thanks largely to the assistance given by our paper experts-and that British filter-papers of all the required qualities, and in every respect equal to those which had been associated with foreign labels, would surely be manufactured in British mills.With respect to the supplies of chemical reagents, the Joint Committee found it necessary to entrust to a special Sub-committee the somewhat arduous task of compiling a list of all the commonly used reagents, with indications of the standards of purity required and the tests necessary for ascertaining whether the required standard had been reached. The list had been published as a pamphlet, and had been sent to many firms and companies of manufacturing chemists with a view to ascertaining which reagents of their own manufacture they were prepared to supply.When the replies had been received, the Joint Committee would know the require- ments of the profession that could be met by British manufacturers. I n all the branches of their work the Joint Committee had received most cordial assistance from manufacturers and dealers.The manufacturers of chemical reagents were doing their best to meet the needs of the profession. It was most earnestly hoped that sooner or later laboratory supplies both of apparatus and materials would be entirely of British origin. The manufacturers were-in some cases a t considerable cost-developing lines of industry which were of the nature of new departures for this country.I t was the solemn duty of consumers and users-in fact, of every branch of the profession-to do their utmost to encourage and support these new home industries. Patriotism and the credit of our country alike demanded that, after the war, they should help those who were helping them by insisting upon having nothing but the products of British manufacture.They should not only assist in tbe development of these industries now, but insure their prominent retention after the declaration of peace. With the achievement of this result there would be removed the reproach that the nation which gave to chemical science Priestly, Black, Boyle, Cavendish, Davy, Dalton, Faraday, and Graham, the country which founded the coal-tar colour industry, and which had taken the lead in the manufacture of ‘‘ heavy chemicals,” allowed her184 INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY laboratory work to be dependent upon foreign materials, and her great textile and metallurgical industries to be threatened through the stoppage of supplies from inimical countries.Continuing, Professor Meldola referred to the large number of Fellows, Asso- ciates, and Students who had for the time being relinquished their professional work or their studies in order to give their services to the country in the field of war.I t was of interest to learn that during the present campaign a, mobile chemical laboratory has been in use at the front. Professional chemists were also serving with the Army Service Corps, and with the Sanitation Companies of the Royal Army Medical Corps.Members also were engaged in laboratories and factories under Government control, and concerned with the testing or production of the various war materials and supplies. The Institute, in brief, had done its best in the present emergency to discharge its functions as a national professional organisation.The Government Departments early in August received intimation that the services of technical experts and the accommodation of the Institute’s laboratories were at the disposal of the Government if needed, and the names of many members were included in Government and other Committees carrying on work of supreme importance to the welfare of the country at the present time, While he recognised that, under bhe existing conditions of strain upon all State officials, individual interests had to give way to national requirements, he felt that the Government departments did not hold that official view of the status of the chemists which they should. He referred to the advertisement recently issued by the Chief Inspector at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, inviting applications from temporary assistant chemists, the candidates being expected to have a thorough training in inorganic and organic chemistry, to be accnrate analysts, preference being given to University graduates, or to members of the Institute. The remuneration offered for the positions was expressed as ‘( wages 62 0s. 6d. per week.” A more direct discourage- ment to entry into the profession of chemistry, or a, more certain method of securing incompetence for the service, could scarcely be imagined. I t was particularly un- fortunate that such degrading terms should be offered at a time when the nation’s need for skilled chemists was being made manifest from so many different quarters, and when this necessity was just beginning to be realised.