2 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



In the present times these principles are being profoundly modi- 

 fied ; old standards of government seem to be weakening day 

 by day, and our Association affords a common ground where 

 tendencies can be examined for what they are worth, instead 

 of through the distorting lenses of party passion. 



The list of papers bearing upon politico-sociological ques- 

 tions read before our Association since its inception is too long 

 for me to quote at length. At our first meeting in 1903, 

 Professor Fremantle read a paper on the " Sociology of Comte, 

 with special reference to the Political Conditions of Young 

 Countries," and Mr. Basil Williams one upon '' Recoupment 

 and Betterment." In 1906 Dr. Watkins gave a Sectional Pre- 

 sidential Address upon " Economic Waste," and in 1914 one 

 upon the " Constitution of the Senate." We also have had 

 papers on " Proportional Representation " by Mr. William 

 Cullen, '-Municipal Trading" by Mr. J. M. P. Muirhead, 

 " State Socialism or Nationalisation " by Dr. Leech, etc., etc. 

 I see that amongst the papers being read at this Congress there 

 is one by Mr. Frank Flowers upon the " Constitution of the 

 Senate," evidently in continuation of Dr. Watkins" paper ; this 

 appears to be a subject well v/orthy of discussion, as the Senate, 

 as at present constituted, will automatically come to an end in 

 1920. Other papers, by Mr. R. Kilpin and Dr. Brown, deal with 

 the subject of " Proportional Representation." 



War and Science. 



We meet this year under extraordinary circumstances, 

 during a period of war unequalled in the history of mankind in 

 its extent and intensity. A superficial view would be that our 

 Association has nothing to do with wars at any time, and should 

 ignore the present war. This view . would be entirely wrong. 

 The war touches humanity at every point, in every interest. I 

 3m therefore going to deal with it, but in such a way that no 

 one could say to which side my sympathies lean. I have, like 

 everyone else, very decided views upon the rights and wrongs 

 of the war, but these concern one of the aspects with which 

 we as a scientific body have nothing to do. 



A certain school of thought — not particular to any one 

 nation — has praised the value of war as a discipline, and even 

 as a moral force. Another school looks upon war as a curse 

 for whicli no defence is possible. Science is impersonal, and 

 looks merely to facts. Yet Science cannot but feel degraded 

 when it finds so great a part of its recent advances applied so 

 freely and almost solely as aids to the destruction of human 

 life. The pre-eminent inventions of our present generation 

 — wireless telegraphy, the airship, the flying machine, the sub- 

 marine, thermite, and other allied heat producers — seem to have 

 found their culmination in use in war. How different is this 

 from the Scientist's ideal — the most altruistic possible — the 

 lightening of the burdens of humanity by the mastery of natural 

 forces. — the transformation of inanimate power to relieve man- 



