RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 12 August 1942, Page 5

RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS

THOUSANDS OF TECHNOLOGISTS LITTLE KNOWN OF THEIR RESEARCH New York, June 18. Reports on Russian research from England indicate that the Soivets are going to be even tougher military opponents than anyone has yet supposed. The British reports indicate the existence of an almost unbelievable number of trained technologists. Such men are the basis of all war equipment, and even of some military organisation. Twenty-two years ago Soviet Russia had 40 trained physicists. Now Prof. J. D. Bernal. English authority in physics, says the Russians have tens of thousands of these key men. What this means is shown by the fact that the entire United States today has only about 7.500. Already more than half these United States physicists are in war science work, and most of the other half are doing part-time An almost unbelievable prediction is by R. Rose, in “Nature.” Britain’s natural science journal, that underground coal mining may disappear in Soviet Russia. Three physics and chemistry discoveries are the reason: 1. Gasification of coal, by which the heat elements of coal are piped out of the mine and to industries in the form of gas. 2. Steel blast furnace improvements which Mr Rose says probably will do away with the necessity of mining coal even to make metallurgical coke. 3. A new process to make cheap liquid oxygen, for power, which enables one man to do the work of 10 miners. In synthetic rubber, Mr Rose says Russia probably is the world's largest producer. She furnishes 80 per cent, of her own rubber needs with Russian synthetic. In addition two types of dandelion are solving Russia’s need for natural rubber. Russian geology science figures, unmatched anywhere else in the world, are reported by Di. N. F. M. Henry. He says Russia’s Central Institute for Geology has a staff of 500 and in addition 10.000 other geologists and prospectors working under its direction. Thousands of young Russians are training in geology. Millions of schoolchildren are studying geology in the fields and laboratories. The public seldom hears of geology’s vital part in war. The basis of America’s unmatched oil production is industrial geologists. In chemistry Dr. M. Ruhemann credits Russia with being ahead of the rest of the world in new methods of separating gases. This prosaic work is of great importance for the heavy che_ mical industry, which in turn is one of the foundations of successful war. This Russian chemistry may be significant in poison war gases. The Soviets have succeeded, where other nations failed, in completely hiding whatever gas preparations they might be making. Dr. Ruhemann’s description of their chemical science makes it cer- , tain that the Russians do not lack for technologists to make war gases, and what w more vital, to make them in huge quantity. “Nature” comments: “The present lack of contact between Soviet men of science and those of other countries is very much to be deplored, and knowledge of what they are doing would help us to realise in a rational way the possibilities of science for a new civilisation.”