NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22627, 15 January 1937, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

TRAINING FOR INDUSTRY "If Britain is to maintain its position as nil industrial nation, those responsible for the control and direction of industry must recognise the necessity for a more highly trained working iorce." This is the chief conclusion reached by a delegation representing the Middlesex County Kducation Committee which visited technical institutions in Holland, I'Yanco, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Germany seeking information likelv to be useful in relation to the three-year millionpound programme for the developmentof technical, commercial and art education in Middlesex. "The experience of Continental employers is," it is lidded, "that under modern factory conditions skilled craftsmen cannot bo trained in the works. It Mould therefore appear that the technical institutes of Britain should play a more important part in the industrial system." MODERN ALCHEMY Lord Rutherford, in the Henry Sidgwiek Memorial lecture at Cambridge, spoke on "Modern Alchemy" and said it was now possible by modern methods to produce exceedingly minute quantities of gold, but only by the transmutation of an even more costly clement- —platinum. During the past few years almost all elements had been shown capable of transformation by suitable elements. The possibility ol the discovery of a substitute for radium was mentioned by Lord Rutherford. "Already," he said. "Lawrence has succeeded in producing an intense source ] of radio sodium which is equivalent • in gamma ray activity to many j grammes of radium. It is thus possible that such an artificially produced source of gamma rays may, some day, be used as a substitute for radium in therapeutic work." Lord Rutberlord added: "The amount of transformation is -isuaily on a minute scale and only j rarely is, the matter produced either | visible or weighable. In the case of j gold the gold is not visible."

BIGGER FLYING-BOATS The recent realisation in the new Kmpire flying-boats of the prophecy made four years ago bv Mr. A. Gouge, chief designer of Messrs. Short Brothers, lends weight to the views concorning the further development of the flying-boat. The loaded weight of the boats now going into service is '10,0001b., the wing-loading is about 281b. to the square foot, and take-off speed about 6~) miles an hour. Mr. Gouge is of the opinion that no problems will have to be solved in producing boats double the weight of those now in construction, and be believes that such boats will become necessary for ocean services. He also looks forward to the construction of flying-boats of a loaded weight of 160,0001b., of a wing-load-ing of 401b. to the square foot and of a take-off speed exceeding 100 miles an hour. He ndds that it is difficult to foresee the ultimate limit of wingloading. He points out the value, other things being equal, of high wing-load-ing in relation to cruising speed, range, economy of operation and efficiency both in flying and at moorings during bad weather.

EXTREME DOCTRINES Since the war developments in Europe had tended to let loose extremist doctrines, said Sir John Simon when speaking on the Public Order Bill in the House of Commons. Whether they were doctrines of the Right or the Left did not matter, but they were extremist doctrines which, in their application, had this special quality—that they were essentially intolerant and were determined to browbeat and overthrow doctrines to the contrary effect. The adherents of these doctrines denied the right of others to hold different opinions. In the meantime they were ready, if not to use at least to display force to spread their own view. The House would agree that in contrast with that the grand characteristic of British political life was its tolerance. All the things on which we prided ourselves, freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, and freedom of meeting, were based on our conception of political and civic tolerance. If these foreign doctrines got a footing in Britain —and lie was not inviting the House to legislate against anybody's creed; it was the method and not the creed —then Parliament must secure that the methods that were employed in support ot thein were consistent with- our tolerant traditions and with the preservation of the rights of the general public.

CHOICE FOR THE NATIONS

"I believe," said Mr. Anthony lulen at a welcome to the Prime Minister of Belgium, "that there can he no greater service by our country to the cause of peace than clarity. Let me therefore, on this Anglo-Belgian occasion, once again affirm that the independence and integrity of Belgium is a vital interest for this nation, and that Belgium could count upon our help were she ever the victim of unprovoked aggression. I say these words deliberately, because 1 ain confident that they represent the will of the British people, and that to make this plain is a contribution to peace. Our two countries share the same conceptions of international order: a renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy; a willingness to settle disputes by peaceful means; the acceptance of certain agreed canons of international law. But let there be no mistake; these conceptions are tokens neither of softness nor of cowardice. We believe them to be tokens of civilisation. The nations must choose. If they determine to return to the arbitrament of the sword it will be found that the terrible weapons that science has forged can be wielded with no mean courage by peoples who love their freedom, both individual and national, and intend to preserve it. But the cost must be heavy indeed. In this respect there should be no excuse for a repetition of the erroneous estimates of the past." We had to-day, ho continued, a supreme advantage over 1914 —the experience of the war years behind us. The statesmen of the world must know the nemesis that awaited them and their countries if war were ever again loosed upon the earth. The alternative was surely a universal realisation that the arbitrament of brute force belong to tho animal creation.