36 THE HISTORY OF THE CONGRESS 



for their participation, which had made possible the brilliant success 

 of the enterprise, portrayed its effect and the influence of its perpetua- 

 tion, and then extended to all the invitation from the President of 

 the United States to attend the reception at the White House on the 

 following Tuesday. 



In responding to these toasts the senior Honorary Vice-President, 

 Hon. James Bryce, of Great Britain, spoke in matchless form and 

 held the attention of the vast hall closely while he portrayed in a few 

 words the chief glories of England in the field of science, and the 

 pride the English nation felt in the glorious record made by her 

 eldest daughter, the United States. Mr. Bryce spoke extempora- 

 neously, and his remarks cannot be given in full. 



For Germany, Commissioner-General Lewald responded in an 

 eloquent address, in which, after thanking the Exposition and the 

 American Government for the high honor done the German nation in 

 selecting so large a percentage of the speakers from German scien- 

 tific circles, he enlarged upon the close relations which had existed 

 between German university thought and methods and American 

 thought and practice, due to the vast number of American students 

 who had pursued their post-graduate courses in the universities of 

 Germany. He dwelt upon the pride that Germany felt in this sincerest 

 form of tribute to German supremacy in scientific thought, and of the 

 satisfaction which the influence in this country of German-trained 

 students afforded. He described at length the great exhibit made by 

 German universities in the education department of the Exposition, 

 and pointed to it as demonstrating the supremacy of German scienti- 

 fic thought and accurate methods. Dr. Lewald closed with a brilliant 

 peroration, in which he referred to the immense service done for the 

 cause of science in the last fifty years of German history and to the 

 patronage and support of the Emperor, not only to science in general, 

 but to this great international gathering of scientific experts, and 

 drank to the continued cordial relations of Germany and America 

 through its university circles and scientific endeavors. 



For the response from France, Prof. Gaston Darboux was dele- 

 gated by Commissioner-General Gerald , who was unable to be present 

 on account of sickness. In one of the most bea*utiful and polished 

 addresses of the evening, Professor Darboux spoke in French, of which 

 the following is a translation : - 



GENTLEMEN, Graciously invited to respond in the name of the delegates 

 of France who have accepted the invitation of the American Government, I con- 

 sider it my duty in the first place to thank this great nation for the honor which 

 it has paid to us, and for the welcome which it has extended to us. Those of you 

 who are doing me the honor to listen, know of that disagreeable feeling of isolation 

 which at times the traveler in the midst of a strange people experiences; that 

 feeling I know only from hearsay. We have not had a moment of time to experi- 

 ence it. They are accustomed in Europe to portray the Americans as exclusively 



