Evening Star Newspaper, January 30, 1921, Page 63

‘THE :SUNDAY STAR, JANUARY 30, 1 921—PAR T 4. Jork of Bureau of t;a;lrd ol : T Pratiar e ey . SCENE IN TEXTIL BY H. 0. BISHOP. 44 EJ a taxi and go out to see Stratton about it He's your one best bet,” - sug- gested a New England senator ta_a prominent manufacturer. “Dr. Stratton can fix you up in no time at all,” declared a middle west senator to a perplexed constituent. “There’s only one man in the United States who knows how to adjust things | of that sort, and that man is Stratton. He always gets action of the dependable kind,” proudly claimed a congressman from a mining section of the country. 1 the bureau, its services are given free to other departments of the mational government and to state governments. When tests or investigations are car- ried out for private individuals or or- ganizations, a nominal fee is charged. The relations of the bureau to the other government departments, to the public and to other industries are ex- tremely varied and interesting One of the most important functions of the bureau is that of a testing laboratory for all of the other govern- ment departments. It is quite ob:; vious that it is to the interest of all concerned to place government pur- chases of supplies on a sound basis of merit, and it is with this end in view that the bureau of standards under- takes to make routine tests of the | LABORATORY OF THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS. “Don’ a moment, my friend, | various matérials used in govern- |hl?‘;na:n‘m§(n;°:o pass the buck in re- | mental work. The government diffefs ferring you to this man Stratton. I'mjin no way, except as to size, from a sending you to him because he knows | private industry. It is, however, con- how to get the right answer.” was what | siderably larger than any other single a Texas congressman told a big business | industrial organization in America, man from that empire. 3 jand, of course, its activities cover a These are characteristic. examples of | far larger field. Therefore, by per- daily conversations and communications ; forming routine tests for the govern- between public officials and men in all | ment, it is able to keep in close touch walks of life throughout the country. iat all times with all of the latest “‘Well, I'll bite—who is Stratton?” is{ manufacturing methods. In addition the frequent response to such sugges-|to this routine testing work, it also tions as the above. acts in an advisory capacity and is Dr. S. W. Stratton is the director of | frequently called into consuitation by the bureau of standards of the United | other bureaus and departments to aid States Department of Commerce. Thislr the drafting of specifications, rules bureau has rapidly developed into one{and regulations. of the most important and valuable of | Dyring the war its relations to most the many governmental agencies Jocated | of the government departments were Its name, however, in the —————— ent age is to so improve ‘auto tires as to prevent them from wearing out| so quickly. An ingenious device has | been put into operation at the bureau whereby a tire can be placed on a re- volving wheel and experts can make a careiul siudy of it under the same conditions as though it-was attached to a machine going from Wasaington to California. Tire manufacturers and owners of machines are profound- ly interested in. this particular work! of the bureau, and it is confidently expicted that within a reasonable time there will be a marked improve- ment in-the life of all tires. Another, good word to keep a watch- ful eye upon is “spectroscopy.” Thel word is going to be used more and! mere each year for a long time to come. A number of men ut the bu- reau are decply engrossed in the study of spectroscopy, which is the determination of the spettra of the various chemical elements. Such work is of importance in the analysis of certain substances, and is being used | to a greater extent each year in-the} industries of the countfy. Through the aid of spectroscopy - the bureau has developed special photographic plates that are sensitive to the Jonger or red waves of the spectrum. - These { plates have proved to be the best ob- tainable in the world for aerial phe- tography. Through: the use of such) plates. photographs can now be taken through haze, smoke, fog ‘and clouds. This miracle-like invention can easily be appreciated by the amateur | s Covers Wide Range an JECULIAR Tasks Taken Up by Insti- ‘ tution Directed by Dr. S. W. Stratton — Big Testing Laboratories. | How War Emergencies Were Met. | Work for the Automobile Owner. Miniature Tunnels Where Air Currents Are Tested for Aviators—Some Facts | | About Paper—Milady’s Special Interest | | in the Bureau. ‘ | | I | | ! the bureau of standards has tackled]persons to learn that many kinds of | the of standardizing and in cer- |oils and other liquids are now being talt/'erses Ot adjusting polariscopes | sold on the basis of color, and the use submitted o it by the sugar refiners |of accurate standards in this work i of the country. In thix way it has|therefore, of vital importance. This beeninf valuable benefit to this in-|section is ,also engaged in the test- dust: Many of the rare sugars for!ing of eye protect A Wa"'f“ PHOTOGRAPHED THROUGH OPTICAL GLASS A FOOT 2 "THICKNESS. THE GLASS WAS MADE BY THE BUREAU. | testing of cement, ‘such tand destruction. AUTO TIRE TESTI ENERGY DISSIPATED IN UNDER DIFFERENT Ri NE AT THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS. ERATED IN THE TIRE THROUGH FRICTIO! THE MACH MEASURES POWER, - TS THE TIRE from losing the sight of their eyes. The chemical section of the. bureau is one of the busiest spots in the Dis- trict. for the reason that chemic work enters into all the investiza- tions of such suustances as lubricat- ing oils, rubber. leather, paper, tex- tiles, ink. glue and numerous other articles used in éveryday life. Chemi- cal work is also important in the bituminous ma- terials. paint. varnishes and soap. The government being a large buyer of ‘all these articles. the bureau is necessarily kept busy in seeing that inferior articles are not purchased. When the ships of the air first came into use it was the custom of both inventors and builders to look at each other somewhat doubtfully. both hoping that the thing would go up and come back safely, but at the same moment realizing that they did not have the remotest idea what would happen-to their expensive creation' if _aysterrific windstorm should come bowfing along and das! into it. It was ffequently found that heavy winds meant sure death Mr. Stratton amd his bureau soon mfie to the regce of the inventors and airplane’ bufldérs of the country %o far as that particular difficulty determined |beforehand in two little air tunnels nitely and accurately jat the bureau. gives a wind speed of ninety i per red-hot cyclonic speed of 190 miles per hour. This is done through the {use of an airplane propeller ut the jend of the tunnek ~Dr. Stration fur- {nishes the tunnels and the breezes |and the government or the manufac- turers furnish small models of their planes. | problems of the air are solved before the initial flizht is taken. Airplane instruments are tested in this manner. To definitely find out what effect various degrees of cold would have on airplane engines and instruments the bureau scientists erected an air- tight little building with nething in it but an airplane engine. This building was connected with a pipe { ‘leading to a refrigerating plant, thus| | enabling them to study the atmospieric | iconditions encountered miles above the earth. This interesting plan has been of tremendous value in the safe standardization of engines and deli- cate instruments, also in the pre- vention of the loss of valuable time. A tr.p through the structural, mi ellaneous and engineering materiais section of the bureau is a rare treat. miles ) | 1 i i | | | i One of these tunnels | hour., while the other gets up a | Between them practically all; { qualities. | hands o solve the gum from the flax straw i |less than ome hour. leaving fibers imilar in appearance to tlax obtain- - ed by processes which now require the submersion of the straw in water for a period of from fifteen to iwen- ty-five days, or in dewy meadows for a period of time from five to eight weeks, subject to atmospheric con, tions. When women buy satin dresses they fondly hope they will wea~ well enough to last out the season and stand making over when the styies change. But they never cun tell wything definite about the wearing The bureau of standards is - trying to overcome such bothersome details of the fair sex. An abras machine has recently been instal by which it is possibie in a few min utes to test the wearing quslities of satins and many other articles used in the making of wearing ap- rarel. In the due cou=se of time a woman will be enabled to know just exactiy Uting wnen s e to the shop- keepers. * %x % % FOR many vears it was not sup- posed that it was possible for high-grade tableware to be made out i a i r eralsady . } is divisi - ontly the in- jof American clays. It was deemed ton. closer than ever before, and { Photographers of Washington. some e glassés used by |80 d.» He rigged up a|This division is pre-éminently t o 3 m Sonveva butflittie meaning 1o the-aver- | cave ‘of the War anq. Nevy depari- | of whom experience considerable M med and other work have been |workmen In guarding their eyes from | Was CORCEENS trivance, whereby jduscrial part of the plant IS VS ceseary to mix imported clays | age American. The term “bureau of|ments, besides conducting a vastly | culty in: taking pictures on a bright, prodg§éed in the laboratories of tae|injurious rays. such. for instance. as || EFC0 S0t any@reach up into the}work is carried on in close co !‘_ m | order to get satisfactory results. That standards” sometimes becomes con-!increased number of routine tests, it|clear day when the object is not more burezu. {can be seen almost daily on the s:reui;kies grab a hupky cyclone by thejiion M;h tlhehvnrmuu‘ Indusn{lnesml:crn : 3 - fused in the minds of some peopls With ' carried out numerous investigations|than ten feet away from ikem, - railway lines by workmen engaged in | shr. tame it, and make it eat out of | Ohe eud of the ouniry to the “rdi_llheur - has been expioded by the standards of mortality instead of il#of new military devices. aided in thel 4 fe1q of work that is of great im ; i o electrical welding. It has been dem-{Ril’ pana. doing his bidding at any |2nd inciudes the tesing of the orll|ceramic suarps of the bureau of real purpose. development of new material and In-f,orance to industries is that of HAT section of the bureau devoted | onsirated that many of the glasses and all times, There is now no more j Co73 WOUErils teed for ConstpuCuiny |alandards. | Experiments were con- * x x % kx vestigated processes for using well- |, o\grimetry. As the polarimetric ex- | to the study of colorimetry is|ordinarily sold arc of very little value | nced for worrisome speculating as 0 ; SR, i "L oas, Textiles and Paber. | pacte. Onio. oo’ 4n(e in East Liver: known substances for novel PUrposes. i, ... ;on of sugar is one of the most 'fasciifating and of import in-|for such use, while others are quite |what wild winds might do to air-, R ) one way or another, every man, !One section is devoted to the testing h the TUnited | N I woman and child in the States. is more or less affected by the work of ‘the bureau of standards. Such being the case, it will be ex- ceedingly interesting to learn some- thing about the scope and- details of the great work carried on at this big institution. In onder;to make it pasaiblg,for the institution to functiongjn a broad- gauge manner, it was deemed expe- diént to organize it into nine technical divisions. -The. staff of each_ division is made up of experts in some par- ticular_line of work, the divisional organization’ being dependents upon the character of the work rather than upon_ the kinds of standards. Thus division 1 is known as the division " of electricity, and is concerned with all questions of standardization that properly belong to the electrical field.. Therefore, the determination of an electrical constant and the rating of an electric motor or the test of an incandescent lamp are all assighed to that division: In a similar manner. divigion 2. Jknown as the division of weights and | measures, concerns itself with a wide variety of work. from the comparison of setn of extremely accurate analyti- cal weights with the fundamental) standards of the bureau (o the’ routine testing of mine and railroad track scales in all parts of the coun- try. 4 Division 3, of heat and _ther-| | mometry, has an extremely broad field to cover. since its work ranges from the calibration of many hundreds of clinical, laboratory and other ther- mometers each year to complete re- searches in connection with the opera- tion of refrigerating machinery and internal combustion engines. Division 4, known as the optical di- vision, is charged with all tests and investigations in the field of optics. This is a larger field than is gener- ally supposed and includes such im- portant work as radiometry, spectros- copy, colorimetry, polarimetry, used the constants of optical glass and tests of optical instrument The chemistry division. No. 5. and its activities cover all the fields of science and industry. Its work is often in co-operation with some other | ‘thlng possible to meet the emergency one of the bureau's scientific divisions, as nearly all scientific research work includes the use of chemistry. ‘This division likewise handles all questions of a purely chemical nature tbat are submitted to the bureau by individuals or erganizations. Divigion 6 is the division of me- chanical appliances and engineering instruments. Tt is one of the smaller divisions of the bureau, but its work is of great importan nd includes such investigations as the testing and standardization of pressure gauze various aeronautical instruments, fire- extinguishing apparatus and the de- termination of the aerodynamical Iife. in sugar analysis, determination of! .1 of immediate and practical assistance, The value of the assistance which bureau thus rendered to the military services cannot even be slightly esti- mated. It is only necessary to state that .as success in modern warfare depends almost entirely upon scientific investigation, it was, indeed, most for- tunate that thig government had such a well equipped research laboratory and high-clacs scientists at its com- mand. As indicated above, it is absolutely necessary for the government to de- mand in its work the use of accurate standards of all kinds. The public can hardly be expected to appreciate the need for and value of exact-stand- ards in its purchases if the govern- ment itself does not set'an example by demanding the highest possible ac- curacy. The bureau has, therefore. aimed to take a leading part in the education of the public in the matter of standardization and has always maintained the closest relations with state and municipal ‘libraries, labora- tories and educational institutions. It has distributed many charts and pamphlets which are particularly de signed to be of service in everyday It has also aided the publ thrugh its frequent service as an im partial mediator in disputes between municipalities and public service cor- porations. The bureau is deserving of the sole credit for the inauguration of an en- tirely new industry in this country. Prior to August, 1914, every camer. binocular, microscope or other optica instrument of precision was dependent for its optical glass, and in many lcases the finished optical parts upon a few German, French and English manufacturers. After this date the German supply of these materials was | eatirely cut off, and the English nnd‘ French almost completely, due to the necessary commandeering of the prod- uct for the military needs of these governments. It was felt at once that ithis was a fleld to which the bureau | of standards was in duty bound to de- vote a portion of its activities. * %k x ¥ | A CCORDINGLY. after the out-| break of the war and two 4nd ‘a half years before this country de- clared war with Germany, Director | Stratton, had a firm grip on the fore- lock of time and was doing every- threatened by the utter lack of op-| tical glass industry in the United| States When .our declaration of war { With Germany crystallized this pos- | | sible emergency into a serious tuality the bureau had already | done a “great deal of valuable and | difiicult pioneer work, was actually | making optical glass in its experi- | mental plant and was enabled to be ! in the quick creation of an optical glass industry. The needs of the case, however, demanded the instant and thorough co-operation of all who | could contribute to the solution of the optical glass crigis. This was characteristics of aerofoils, airplane propellers and other airplane appa- ratus. Division 7. of structural. miscel- laneous and engineering materials, embraces all work concerned with steel. wood. cement, concrete and lime. leather, rubber, textiles, paper and 4 many other items. The various sec- tions of this division are provided with the necessary testing machines for conducting thorough investigations in their respective fields, and kewise in some cases with apparatus for manu- facturing certain of the materiale by the identical processes that would be used in actual industrial plants. The work of this division perhaps comes cloger to the various industries of the country than of any of the other divi- sions of the bureau , Division 8. the ision of metal- lurgy, has to do h all phases of the working of metals. both farrous and non-ferrous, from the mixing of the alloy in the foundry to the rolling of steel and the photo-micrographic examination of specimens. The last jion. No. 9. is the ceramics’ divizi Its work is neces esrily varied and includes the in- vestigations connected with the de- velopment of clay products. optic glase, refractorics snamels for metal ware and simi b held in one's hand. of his term, enjoyed an additional | ' FE ivery owner of an auto ought to n'.‘olo? pt“’ year “for enlerlllainr:enfh” - h a kindly feeling toward the |Which allowance was continued for VW HILE “the importance of texact | T80 0000 Mards. 1t was largely | Something over one vear, to Ambas- standardx was recognized by (he | (hrouzh the efforts of the institution | sador Wallace and then cut off, “for ders of our co and although | that certain gasoline station pumps |lack of funds. founders of our country. and althouslh | L oo e dountry were shown up, | , Ambassador Bacon, who preceded the Constitution vests the federal | G0 Q€T L0 €00 I N ranged that | Ambassadors Herrick, Sharp and Wal- government with power to “Ax” thelq ‘dishonest dealer could pump out flace, was probably ' the wealthlest andard veights and measure short gallons to his customers all | representative that we have had in Handard of weikhis and measires” i) Son oag. The pumps were not at all | Paris for a long time. He certainiy was not until July 1. that the | (o8 o ized, but could easily be ad- |spent between $100,000 and $150,000 present national bureau was éstab- | justed to suit the desired crooked-|® Year in keeping up the honor of + lished by an act of Congress. Pre-|ness of each dealer. Due to the ex-|the flag. vious to that time the Treasury De-| posure by the bureau. that sort of | Ambassador Herrick had the Bacon partment had maintained the eastody | profitcering ix now mighty unpopular [ pace to follow. How much he spent of our standards of measurement. and dangerous. in doing it we do not know, but it is In accordance with the law creating 1 forthcoming by every American man- ufacturer of Elass. X The work of the pioneer js usually diflicuit and rarely rapid, though its value as a foundation for _later progress is frequently out of all pro- portion to the initial results achieved. It must be kept in mind that the whole industry had been confined to a few firms on the other side of the and its actual technique was about with solemn secrecy. It was necessary to begin at the bot- tom and to work out and solve diffi- { cult problems of technique peculiar {10 the manufacture of optical glass | before proccsses and quality of prod- uct could be studied from a scien- tific standpoint. I It is believed that Jke results final- ly secured ) cespects form an original and world-beating contribu- tion to the technique of glass manu- facture. All information on the sub- ject of the composition of the op- tical glasses, annealing, testing and technique was made freely available |to all interested glass manufac- | turers. So exceedingly clear is this optical glass that a watch placed and a chunk a foot in thickness can be seen as plainly as thoughf One of the problems of the pres- | tions aris: te: mportant s of tl commod It th preventing men dustry planes. All sud problems are de! ONE OFFICE WHICH ONLY MILLIONAIRES CAN SEE BY STERLING - HEILIG. PARIS, January 20, 1921. RS. HUGH WALLACE. wu‘ei of the American ambassador, is described as the busiest ' American in Paris. Her life| is a continual succession of tasks. I{ quote Miss Alcyon Robinson, ‘daugh- | ter of Helen Ring Robinson, former| state senator of Colorado. Miss Rob- inson recently visited not only Mrs. Wallace, but “a number of the homes of American representatives abroad.” | d published her impressions. i It is always a busy day for me.)| said Mrs. Wallace. glancing at a pile | of letters, when Miss Robinson en-| tered. “That only today’s mail”; She takes, even, “a particular de- light” in answering those notes from ! Americgns who come here, far awiy ! from everything American. So such | mothering -of unknowns may be taken as a part_of the ambassador's wife's; work. A French secretary entered the ! room—indication of another line or} letters and engagements. Her popu- larity in France extends beyond the diplomats. She is known for her generosity to war funds and French bables” holidays. Also the beautiful French_residence of the Wallaces is admirably adapted to receiving the crowds of Americans who attend Mrs. ‘Wallace's “at homes,” and the bi functions which the ambassador and his wife give on such days as the Fourth of July. “If any American believes that the| wife of the ambassador leads a pleas- ant life of ease and idleness, he is staken.” concludes Miss Robinson Mrs. Wallace’s program for the da of my visit was typica]—a wedding; two teas and a dinner.” trangely enough.” the same words | (“It is always a busy day for me!") were “the very Words of Ambassador Wallace himself.” when Miss Robin- son took him the greetings of some American friends. Doubtless, it is exact, in a way unknown to Ameri- can ambassadors before the war. The council of ambassadors, alone (in which he takes a “very active de- bating part”)—I have it from an at- tache of the embassy who was em- phatic—has often held as many as| three sittings per week; and his presence at all kinds of extra-diplo- matic functions is continually so- licited. We are called a practical people. * % * % NEW ambassador to France is s00n to be expected. The ques- What does this doubly, or jointly. busy job pay? And what kind of Americans are eligible to its| honors and opportunities for patri- otic service? The answer is millionaires only. Once an American ambassador whom 1 ought not to name, even to- day, paid the honor to our little rue Deves, in Neuilly, of coming out in his limousine and spending the en-| tire morning going over, on second thought, some notes which he. had dictated’ to me the day previously. Many confldences were “blue pen- ciled.” When all was over not half the notes remained: but I think that I may now dip into them, with dis- cretfon. The ambassador, although very rich, felt that he had :spent more money in Paris than was just or rea- sonable. Each new-coming ambassador will have the same problem to face, until the United States provides, at least, for a dignified embassy mansion and its fixed charges in Paris. The salary is _$17,500. Ambassador Sharp, during a part A said that he felt the expense, THEIR WAY CLEAR HE American Ambassador to France Has a Salary of $17.500 and an Ex-~ fiense Account of $150,000—Need of an Embassy Building—Ambassador Wal- lace and His Predecessors. »: 1 H - I i | LACE, AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE. HUGH C. WAL g (Copyright, 1921, by Branger & Hellig.) summer residence, winter palace and 2 yacht; and Germany deems it good business. As a fact, did she not drag unhappy Turkey with her into world conquest? Evidently there is a point of view. * k ok k UR American ambassadors have Ambassador Sharp, who was a wealthy man, expressed himself simi- larly. Ambassador Wallace is doubtles ex- tromely - wealthy. _ Already, when young, he ran a bank in Tacoma. He participated in the.real estate devel- opment of the region, backed a steam- ship lino to Alasia In the gold rush, acquired interests in several Alaskan mining properties and when the Hill ot peshapy iapentithelinrivate and ‘Harriman factions staged their| fortunes like water merely to have battle for the Northern Pacific rail-|a good time socially, but were forced road and sent the stock’ skyrocketing | ;1 ¢"onnetition with the great pow- in 1901 he was one who was “in on” i the ‘gigantic deal and cleaned up alers to maintain thelr usefulness, a fortome Ut of I Ao, eaaoh Were | competition highly to thelr horor. the beginnings of his wea, & s enertainments In the Radgiwill man-| It is @ propitious moment to see sion of the Place d'lena have in ni clearly. As my blue-penciling ambassador said to me privately: wise fallen behind the grand tradi- “We ought notsto establish embas- tions. Yes; but admitting that they have sies if we are not prepared to support them.” \ the money, why should American am- Every Englishman in Paris would bassadors (alone among their peers) be forced to make such sacrifices? laugh at the idea of a cheap, rented, substitute for the grandiose and Some* Americans think such ex- penses quite unenecessary. : 5 On the other hand, it cost Germany | peripament piece of old England which exists in the British embassy —the Palace of the Charosts—and $100,000 a year, before the war, to keep the German ambassador at Con- their grandfathers chuckled over the stantinople, where he was furnished l | would make | embassy in a rented house ol TO AGCEPT| Duke of Wellington's purchase of it. It was_just after Waterloo. The Duke of Wellington was camping in the FElysec—abargloned by the flee- !ing Napoleon—and looked at the sur- {rounding properties. All Werte mag‘- ficent, the _present private pal- :i:’vs of the Rothschild, Pillet-Will Pereire families; . with ' their lilac scented parks .extending to Champs Elysees: and one, the palace of Pauline Bonaparte. had been abandoned, like the Elysee. 8o Wel- lington said to the helpless French “We'll buy it for the British em- % Pl fixed the price at $20,000. it is worth $5.000,000 for | building sites. Only two such prop- erties have heem cut up and each made a street. And it is as cert that the state would now enjoin the | destrus of # any of those vast with cos 3 is that would not seil their embass told gold. Its hi and give it overwhelming presiige. its garden parties are more scenic and awe-inspiring to Parisians than those of the neighboring French White House Do you see All the ambassadors of the greater powers are able to impose on the Parisians (and ‘on_one another) with garden parties—all except the Amer- ican ambassador! These embassy garden parties lend themselves admirably to the social mixing that is yearly becoming more and morc imperative. Before the time of the late Sir Edmund Monson. the British embassy had remained tight closed. socially, to even the richest British business men of Paris, on the ground that “trade” is not received at court. What a howl set up among the dowagers and hon- orables when Sir Edmund broke the charm and asked “trade” (o the sacred garden parti Such parkelike gardens in Paris run into millions of francs. Germany. after the Franco-Prussian war. took the palace of Prince Eugene, in “own grounds” at her own figure. It ou laugh. The Duchesse de Galliera gave to Austria her his- toric palace of the Matignons, in the Rue de Varenne Russia_bouzht fhe palace of the d'Estrees fami Up to just before the war [taly had her the Rue de Penthievre, but it was ““not im- posing enough for a-first-class pow- er.” So Ttaly bought the historic Ber- wick Palace “in its own grounds,” thuilt by the illustrious French war- rior, James Fitzjames, son of James 1I of England. And so on. * k k% ¢PEOPLE talk about simplicity.” said my ambassador. “If the other powers had their ambassadors living the simple life in Paris, it would be ideal. But we cannot re- form things all by ourselves. These usages have grown up.” And again: “It is not a question of aisplay. American ambassadors have lived lavishly, compared with those of other great powers. We have tried to do the needful thing. Minister Morton In_his day spent $100,000 in doing the “needful thing.” Whitelaw Reid, also mere minister to France, paid $13,000 a year for the Grammont Palace, and he told me in 1892 that his expenses were $80,000 the least year and $120,000 the great- est. Ambassador Porter rented the Spitzer Palace at $10,000 and enter- tained to the une of $60,000. Ambassador McCormick rented two floors of a big house on the Quai de Billy from a regent of the Bank of France. They wepe important enough to entertain, having the privilege of the regent's entrances and exists for the equipages. Ambassadot White paid $12,000 a year rent for the Ridgeway mansion. Ambassador Bacon took it over at the same rent. Ambassador Herrick fol- lowed suit. Congress could have bought the Ridgeway place in 1903 for. $250.000 Ambassador White recommended it as a -historical spot, and the em- bassy commission backed him up. Later it could neither be rented nor purchased and, the new-coming Am- bassador Sharp was obliged to look for another house. - One of the Ridge- way heirs> Count Gerard de Ganay, had just bid for it for his own resi- (Continued op.Fifth Tage.) of metals and wood and is equipped with machines canable of determining the properties of any size specimeni. om a piece of wood weighing 2 few ounces to a full size steel column used n the construction of a massive sky- seraper. One of the testing machines cd in this work is the largest pre- ion testing machine in the world, having a capacity of 2.300,000 pounds 1 compreesion “at in tension. It is so designed that otii tensile and compressive strength tests can be carried out with the comparatively little effort. Besides this machine, the bureau owns a still larger compression testing machine, having a total capacity of 10,000,000 pounds. This machine is located in the branch laboratory of the bureau tention to move it to Washington at the earliest opportunity. The me- rhanical equipment of this section in- cludes, besides the above -tensile and compressive machines, a full as- swrtment of torsional. cross-bend. mpact and hardness testing machines. * ¥ 'HE investigation of airplane woods ar cmpted. The rnment bureau’s cons'sts service to the in a large sovi | other substances and ‘cstigations requiring determinatipn of the physical proper- ties of materials, When one considers the millions of pounds of cement and concrete used in this country every year in the con- struction of buildings and all sorts of -ulllic works the importance of hav- ing proper standards of quality and mcasurcment can be fully appreci- ated. Tests are conducted in the Washington laboratory and in the field. Al cement used in govern- mental construction work is care- fully tested by the bureau. During the war this testing assumed such large proportions that it became acoissary to establish a number of branch laboratories about the coun- try. One of the unique phases of this cement and concrete investigational work during the war was largely de- voted to the perfecting of a particu- larly light and strong concrete for use in - ship ~construction. It was through these practical efforts of the bureau of standards that the Shipping Board was enabled to build concrete vestels of a maximum carrying ca- pacity with minimum weight. There is a possibility of such ships eventu- ally revolutionizing: water traffic. The general shortage of paper for the past year has caused a lookout for other materials than wood pulp from which to make paper. complete paper mill in the bureau makes it possible thoroughly to test all sorts of materials sent in by rep- |resentatives from their and many others. who are confident they have found something that will solve the problem. Cotton stalks, banana stalks and rice straw are among the many articles thus far tried out. Paper has been made from these articles, but for various reasons they have not thus far been a com- { mercial success. in certain ! | government each year is something icolossal. It is hard to believe that 1100,000,000 pounds of paper are used { annually by the various departments, but such is the case. One of the tasks of the bureau is to test this paper to See that it conforms to the specifica- tions under which it was bought. Standard tests of paper have been de- veloped and the government officials no longer stand for deceptions. This class of work is called routine testing and consists of chemical and physical tests and microanalysis. Discovering the effects of freezing and thawing on building stones, con- crete and bricks of different kinds is accomplished by an automatic frees- ing apparatus. Forty-eight freezings and thawings can be accomplished in one day. Obviously, this safeguards builders who are desirous of knowing what will happen before it happens. Every woman in the United States will be interested in the outcome of an experiment that js now being con- ducted with flax. If the resuit is sat- isfactory, ‘it is more than likely that all linen goods will be greatly re- duced in price and the growing of flax in America will rapidly develop. It is believed that by a chemical process the degumming and retting of flax can be greatly simplified, and expe- dited, which would result in greatly increased activity in the industry, and it might be possible for every woman to have nothing but linen table- cloths, napking and sheets in her home, thus doing away with the more or less cotton articles in use at pres- ent. The new treatment is to dis- and about one-half | highest degree of accuracy and with | at Pittsburgh, Pa., but it is the in- | ccnducted before and during the | the most complete ever at- | amount of routine testing of steel and | in- | the accurate | | Having a j constituents i The amount of paper used by the| demonstrated that tableware of ex- cellent quality can be made entirely of American clays. Job printers and newspaper pub- lishers ‘are being benefited by a new imaterial that has been paténted by the bureau for the making of print- ers’ rollers. Such rollers heretdfore ihave been made of giue, water and | molasses or glycerol. The chief diffi- { culty with roliers made in thjs wiy is ! that they cannot be meited and recast laiter they have become hardened in service. ‘I'he.seeret-alihe new patent- ed method-lies-in the fact that spe- cially. prepared -beet melsssen is used instead of came molasses. ¢ Exper; ence has proved that tiey -mot only {last longer without hardening., but-- they can easily be remelted und used- again. 2 - The mail of the bureau of standards:~ is simplified for indexing and filing.. purposes by photographing” it on a « moving picture film upon its arriva! each morning. It was formely the custom to hold the letters in the file... room until the records and briefsis were made, and it was then distribut-— ed to the various persoms for whom - it was intended. By the photograpivics i method the mail is filmed a8 soon as received and immediately delivered 1o the workers, where quick sciion ured. It is undérstood that bix business concerus all over the coun- try are looking into this plan with a view of adopting it as a saver ofe- time and money. The government departments of Washington are evidently great be- lievers in the use of light' of the electric variety. During the year 192 orders were placed for 4,225.000 in candescent electric lamps. The rigid testing of these lamps has resulted in decided improvements. The initial inspection made by the bureau at’i the factories covers the mechanical qualities of the lamps and their rat-" ing with regard to power consump- tion and efficiency. In order to pass a final judgment on the quality of ~ the lamps it is necessary to have< actual burning tests, and when the initial inspection is made samples are”” selected for such tests, which are called “life tests.” One of the laboratories is devoted * to the testing of clocks and watches. Hundreds of ~locks and watches have been tested for the War Department and the Shipping Board. Until guite recently all ships’ chronometers were made in Europe, not one being manu- factured in America. It is likely, however. since the need for such arti- cles has been demonstrated, that’ American manufacturers will get’ busy and make better chronometers than have ever been produced in the past anywhere. Clinical thermometers have ever been a source of annoyance to medical men and hospital attaches. Many of.. them could not be depended upon for accuracy. The bureau of standards _ took the matter in hand and set about the accomplizhing of &tandard ther- mometers that could be'denended on at all times. It is meeting with their usual success. « Architects and engineers in ever: state are manifesting deep interest in the efforts of the bureau to work’ out fireproofing materials for building construction. It is desired to make practically all building material fire- proof, thos eliminating the millions of loss of property by fire in this country each year. Splendid progress... has already been effected along this line. Brides with finger-bedecked plati- num rings. who have come to Wash- ington on their honeymoon journeys could spend an interesting and highly .. profitable hour or two in the labora tor where tests are being conducted~ to discover some substance that will take the place of platinum used in the. making of certain chemical vessels and for war purposes. Various substi- tutesare being constantly offered. hut the tests up to this time have failed to disclose any substance that will" entirely take the place of platinum. American scientists, however, mever give up, and it ix a good safe ten-to- ~ one ‘bet that the problem will be solved in the mot far distant future. . Work Poor. A FINANCIER at a dinner party was talking "about a’ man who was vainly beseeching the banks for a toan. “He's a rich man, too” sild the financier. “but he's work poor.” Work poor?” said a guest. “Yes, work poor,” the financier re- peated. “You see, 'he's always got &0 many operations in hand that he's al- ways short of money to finance them. Work poor. 1 call it” Then he smiled and added: “He's one of those fellows who dix so_much that they're always in & - hole.” v i3 » e |