CONGRESS OF ARTS AND SCIENCE. 7 



were strictly in pure science, as e. g., the department of anthropology, 

 which included a laboratory of anthropometry and psychometry. 



Such considerations suggest the ideal advantage which the Con- 

 gress of Arts and Science enjoyed through its relation to the great 

 exposition. It would further seem a happy thought which led to the 

 convocation of an international group of scholars at a place independ- 

 ently dedicated as a meeting ground of the nations. Not to mention 

 other advantages of a more practical kind for such of the participants 

 as were interested in seeing a great world's fair, or studying some 

 special aspect of its exhibition, the provision for this congress was at 

 once a tribute to science many times deserved, and especially a lesson 

 to the public at large of incalculable educational value. Besides, here 

 was an opportunity too rare to be despised, of realizing, however imper- 

 fectly, a worthy ambition, widely shared, for the internal improvement 

 of the whole kingdom of knowledge. 



On the other hand, there were obvious drawbacks to the satisfactory 

 conduct of meetings for the serious discussion of abstract and learned 

 subjects under the conditions presented by a world's fair. It was 

 impossible for the committee to overcome all the difficulties incidental 

 to the subordination of the congress to the management of the exposi- 

 tion, of which it was externally but a small part, however significant. 

 The fair's department of congresses had to provide for at least one 

 hundred and fifty special conventions or international congresses of one 

 kind or another, besides this universal congress. It was unfortunate 

 that more halls suitable for speaking and hearing, and less widely scat- 

 tered, could not be found or spared, and that no proper waiting and 

 lounging room was provided for social intercourse. Yet great scholars 

 spoke cheerfully to attentive listeners and congenial spirits contrived 

 to meet for friendly conversation or for seeing the fair together. If 

 some of the foreign guests suffered temporary inconvenience on the 

 score of the creature comforts, they will probably not long remember 

 it against us. 



Those acquainted with the conditions may well pause for wonder at 

 the smoothness with which so complicated a piece of machinery was 

 kept running, involving as it did the direction of so large and va- 

 riegated a group of markedly individual men who were for the most 

 part hurried. In this connection credit is especially due the energy, 

 patience and industry of the .faithful staff of executive assistants under 

 the efficient direction of the executive secretary of the congress, Dr. 

 L. 0. Howard, of Washington, government entomologist and chief 

 of the division of entomology, U. S. department of agriculture. The 

 congress was fortunate in securing for this arduous work the services 

 of so eminent a worker for science, both as an investigator and as the 

 permanent secretary of the American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, with his able assistant, Mr. Clifton. It is significant 

 of the spirit of the congress that Dr. Howard's special executive assist- 



