in 1880, but it cost 17 years of laborious
investigation and the investment of nearly L1,000,000 of capital before
that synthesis could be made a commercial success. So long a chase is
not carried out by those who are thinking only of the prize. The hunt
itself must interest them. That, I personally fear, is where we in
Britain (and especially in England) are somewhat lacking.

Two other points in Professor Frankland's address I would draw attention
to. In emphasising the need of scientific men on the directorates he
asks: "What does not the firm of Messrs. Brunner, Mond and Co., for
example, owe to the late Dr. Ludwig Mond, F.R.S.?" Just so. Dr. Ludwig
Mond was a German. He came to this country and brought with him his
energy, enterprise, and his very exceptional scientific endowments. With
Mr. J. J. Brunner he was thus able to found what became the largest
alkali works in the kingdom, and undoubtedly one of the most scientific
and enterprising works we have. Incidentally it is worth mentioning that
the firm of Brunner, Mond and Co. was one of the first to introduce the
eight hours day. There are people about (a few of whom ought to know
better) asking for the exclusion of the German in the future. I would
venture to suggest that we might well exchange very many English people
of such limited brain capacity for one Ludwig Mond. To shut the door to
men is to shut the doors to talent, and talent produces its best by
cross-fertilisation.

I may at this point insert an illustration communicated to me privately.
My informant said: "When I was a very young man I determined to try to
save a business which was falling in ruin. My project was strongly
opposed by my friends, but I determined to carry it out. The works which
I took over were then employing 150 men. There was a great lack of
scientific training, and _this_ I saw was the chief cause of disaster.
So I began sending my men to Germany to be trained. The Germans have
always, at their State-supported universities, welcomed the foreigner
and given him their best knowledge. My men brought that knowledge back
to England. The result was that by the time I withdrew from active work
we were employing about three thousand men. The Germans had thus given
work to nearly three thousand Englishmen. People should remember facts
of this kind when they talk of Germans coming here and 'taking the bread
out of our mouths.'"

The wife of an interned man struggled to keep his business.