THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 



MONTHLY. 



OCTOBEK, 1904. 



A TRAVELER'S VIEW OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 



MEETING. 



By Dr. HENRY S. PRITCHETT. 



PRESIDENT OF THE .MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOIOGY. 



r I ^HE meetings of the British Association for the Advancement of 

 -*~ Science must always have great interest for Americans; and not 

 alone for scientific men, but for all students of the larger national 

 movements and sources of power in the two great English-speaking 

 countries. 



The meeting just closed (August 17-23), held in the old univer- 

 sity town of Cambridge, brought together a large number of persons 

 connected with or interested in the science of Great Britain. The 

 registration reached nearly 3,000. In these days Avhen the meetings 

 of the American Association, even under the admirable efforts which 

 have been put forth for some years, have shown a tendency to dwindle, 

 this fact alone is one of interest and of significance to Americans. 

 Two reasons combined to make the attendance at the Cambridge meet- 

 ing unusually large, first the attractions which naturally belong to 

 this charming old university town, and secondly the presence of the 

 prime minister of Great Britain as president of the association. 



To one familiar with the history of our American Association and 

 with the conduct of scientific work in the United States this fact — 

 the presence and active participation of the head of the government — 

 was perhaps the most curious and interesting feature of the meeting. 

 Science and politics have seldom had in our country that close associa- 

 tion which one finds in England, Germany and most continental 

 countries. Fancy President Roosevelt taking a week to preside over 

 the meetings of the American Association, to deliver an address and 



