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Military Preparedness To the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : I have been much interested in your articles on our military preparedness. I was a member of the cadet organizations at Pennsylvania State College, where I graduated a few years ago, and where I ranked as captain. I feel that your comments upon our training are true, that the training of such camps (summer training camps for officers) as you describe would be very good.W. J. DUMM. Newark, N. J. Military Drill in Place of Gymnasium To the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : I have read with much interest the articles on An Undefended Treasure Land and am heartily in sympathy with them, as I believe' are the majority of our people. I have wondered if the idea had ever been suggested, that the various State universities substitute a military drill for the gymnasium, or at least make it optional, and allowing the same- credits as for gymnasium work. 'It seems to me that this would be of great benefit to the student and at the same time give us a large body of well-drilled men. Boulder, Col.ERNEST GRILL. Military Drill in the Public Schools To the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : Now that the fad is to, talk about whether our standing army is sufficient or insufficient in case of war, I wish to suggest the following : Instead of increasing our standing, army so that we may have a stronger military protection in case of war, why not have military drill-masters at our public schools and thus have every boy, say from ten years up, trained to military tactics? Not only would it be of benefit to the youths from an athletic standpoint, but it will also create a drilled reserve of those who, as a rule, volunteer their services in case of war. The cost to the Government of keeping drill-masters at the public schools would be comparatively with other means, very small. In order to create enthusiasm and interest among the youngsters, the forming of companies, regiments, etc., and promotion in rank should-be given to those who deserve the same. This will keep the young ones interested in their' military training as weH as the rest of their school studies. However, thiajs merely a suggestion, and if you consider it practical and sane, I will appreciate your comment on same.MARTIN I. ZOFNESS. A Letter from an ' Old Reader T-o the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : It' may be of interest to you in connection with your anniversary number, which 1 notice is soon to appear, to realize how important the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN was regarded by practical men in its earliest years. Along about 1851 or 1852, when. I was an apprentice in the machine business at Baltimore, my preceptor, a man named Shipley, showed me a copy of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN and told me that I should subscribe to it, as it would be of assistance to me in my studies relating to the business which I expected was to be my life's work. I followed his advice and subscribed to the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN and continued to read it for years with great advantage, and, I take pleasure at this time of life in writing you to such effect. Washington. D. C.R. C. GILL. The Drug Habit To the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : A recent note ' credited by you to a publication of the United States Public Health Service, and concerning the use of narcotic drugs, is likely to give a wrong impression regarding the prevalence of this condition, because the publication of the Public Health Service is based on data which have since been greatly extended. Under the permit system therein alluded to, our data up to March 1st, show about 2,500 addicts of the opiates. We estimate- that this is about one half of the number in the State and possibly even a smaller proportion. Since this State has about 2 per cent of the whole population of the, United States, if we assume that Tennessee has only the same proportion of addicts as of population we have about 225,000 addicts in the whole country. But Tennessee being an agricultural State, and, therefore, decidedly more free from such addictions than those States where the pressure of modern life is harder, we should add 10 per cent at least to tWs number, giving us in round numbers 247,- SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 00 addicts of the opiates alone. It is safe to say that there are 250,000 addicts of the opiates in the United States, and that they annually use about 6,500,000 worth of the drugs unnecessarily. This is very different from the 2,000,000 at which the figures have been set by somewhat sensational writers, but it is bad enough, as the addict of the opiates is ordinarily to be classed as a defective. The Harrison Act restricting traffic in these drugs was not passed a moment too soon, and appears to have accomplished an enormous amount of good, for, under our form of government, only national legislation on this subject will absolutely prevent illicit traffic in these drugs within the States. The Food and Drugs Department of Tennessee is the enforcing agent of this law and the figures given above are taken directly from our books. Nashville, Tenn.LUCIUS P. BROWN, Food and Drugs Commissioner, State of Tennessee. Construction of Selenium Cells To the Editor of th SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : I note your article on Constructing Selenium Cells in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN of February 27th, 1915. Having constructed selenium cells for the past eight years, I think a few remarks from the pen of a man with this experience will be of, interest to your readers. In the above-named article you say that selenium cell constructors win not employ any other metal than platinum. Permit me to correct this statement. Copper and nickel are used, extensively on account of their being cheaper. The object of using platinum is that selenium forms selenides readily with all metals excepting platinum. It is these selenides that make the cell insensitive and useless. I have made several hundred eells, using copper, and I have never had any trouble with them; they are all in practical use to this very day., Experimenters desiring to make selenium cells should perature should, in fact, be just above the fusing point of crystalline selenium. When a smooth surface is obtained, quickly remove the cell with pliers and let it cool. Its surface will now be smooth a)ld lustrous. The cell must next be annealed. The brass plate being cool, lay the cell upon it again, and adjust the burner at its lowest possible point. The selenium will soon begin to crystallize, as evidenced by its surface assuming a dull leaden appearance. (If crystallization has not begun in five minutes, raise the burner an inch or two.) In from five to ten minutes the whole of the selenium should be crystallized. Then gradually raise the burner until signs of fusion just begin to appear. This will probably take place when the flame is within three inches of the brass. Instantly remove the burner, and in about ten seconds re-crystallization will occur. Now fix the burner inch below the point at which it was when fusion commenced, and let it remain for four hours, merely looldng at it from time to time to ascertain that, owing to increase of gas pressure or other causes, the heat has not become too great. After four hours, begin cooling by lowering the burner an inch or two, and repeat this operation every. ten or fifteen minutes, until the burner is at its lowest point. Then slightly lower the gas flame at short intervals, until it is finally extinguished. When the brass plate is quite cool, the cell may be removed. A cell made in this manner is found to have a resistance in the dark of from 50,000 to 100,000 ohms. New York city.SAMUEL WEIN. A West foint for Non-commissioned Officers To the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : All but a few extreme pacificists will admit that the United States is not properly prepared in a military way for even the smallest war emergency. All but a few extreme militarists will admit that the United States does not need an enormous standing army. Between these two extremes, is not the following plan sensible, logical, and practical? Should war be declared, the graduates of West Point will provide material for officers of the very highest type and training. The young men of America between 18 and 40 will' provide material for the common soldier second to none in the world. The great- lack will be in the non-commissioned officer. I think it will be admitted that an army of recruits can be whipped into form by a West Point officer in a very short space of time when he is properly supported by non-commissioned officers. Upon the supply of noncommissioned officers will therefore depend the quality of the American army and the length of time necessary to form it. I wish to suggest the organization of a second West Point for the training of non-commissioned offices. Men should be admitted to this academy upon the same competitive basis that is required for admission to West Point. They should be trained to become properly complementary to the regular commissioned officers. They should be educated to take charge of the humbler tasks of war--the digging of trenches, the throwing-up of fortifications, bridging rivers, etc. They should be trained to drive engines and automobiles, to guide aeroplanes, to erect wireless stations. They should be made adept, as a matter of course, in military drill. In short, they should be educated scientifically to fill that humble but vastly important place in army management which heretofore we have left to chance and costly experience. But--and here is the real merit of the proposed plan --they should be so educated that the knowledge they acquire in the arts of war, may be equally valuable to them in the arts of peace. Instead of training them solely for a war that may not come in their generation, their training should be such, that they will leave the institution equipped to take a skilled man's part in the industries of the country. In payment for this education, they are to be subject to the call of. their Government. They might even be required to spend a short term of years in the regular army. But, depend upon it, if our Government will equip men with such a training no reasonable requirements of service will prevent thousands of young men from competing for the opportunity to enter such a school. With trained and experienced officers and non-commissioned subordinates, an American army could be : mobilized and trained in an incredibly short space of time. Then let the Government work more closely with our national guard, compensating the young men who are giving their time and energy to this thankless work. Let a system of medals be provided for excellence in sharpshooting by civilians and for military drills by citizen-bodies. The result of this would surely be the creation of a great army of peace which could at short notice be transformed into a vast army of war that would creditably represent and defend the peace and dignity of the United States.F. C. BUTLER, Secretary, Chamber of Commerce of Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo, Mich.
