A Pointed Comment on Our Times

At his death in 1896 Alfred B. Nobel, Swedish scientist and inventor of dynamite, left a $9,000,000 fund, the interest on which was to be distributed yearly to the men who had contributed the most to the benefit of mankind during the previous year. These Nobel awards are made in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine and physiology, literature and peace. Last November 7 the Nobel Peace Prize Committee announced that no one had been found worthy of the peace prize in either 1955 or 1956. The 1955 prize of $36,720 had been available for belated award in 1956; now will never be granted. The 1956 award of $38,634 can be given during the coming year, but at the time the announcement was made no accomplishment in the field of peace was considered worthy of it.