WOMAN SCIENTIST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23528, 17 June 1938, Page 10

WOMAN SCIENTIST

POSITION SOUGHT IN DOMINION VICTIM OF NAZI PURGE (Special to Daily Times) CHRISTCHURCH, June 15. Nazi control of Austria has led to an offer of the services of a distinguished Viennese scientist for cereal, chemistry work in New Zealand. The offer was briefly discussed at to-day s meeting of the Wheat Research Institute, when it was reported that a letter had already been sent to Vienna on behalf of a Government department inquiring on what terms the scientist would be prepared to come to New Zealand. , x _ The director of the institute (Dr F. W Hilgendorf) said that because of recent political happenings in Austria a distinguished woman cereal chemist, the head of the famous Vienna laboratories, had been deprived of her work. He mentioned the matter so that if the institute might need another cereal chemist he would know the attitude of members to the appointment of a foreigner. The woman concerned had extraordinary qualifications and the very highest recommendations. Dr Hilgendorf added that she was of Jewish extraction, and thus automatically had to forfeit her position in Vienna. It had been ascertained that before a permit could be obtained for such a foreigner to come to New Zealand to work it had to be made clear that the work to be done was not such as could be done by any colonial subject of the British Empire. In a general discussion that followed several members said that they preferred, if possible, that such jobs should be given to British subjects, although Mr W. W. Mulholland expressed the view that the fact of anyone being a foreigner would not necessarily be held against any applicant for a job. Dr Hilgendorf said that a scientist of good qualifications would be an inspiration to research work, as Dr J. Melville had been. No action was taken. It was stated that a letter had either been sfnt or was to be sent from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research inquiring the terms on which the woman was prepared to come to the Dominion, without in any way committing th~ department. It was stated, too, that the woman, who was 47 years of age and could speak five languages, was so desirous of coming to the Dominion that if she could not secure a job as a chemist she would come as a governess.