XXVIII THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



to take part in this very interesting gathering. I am sure that at 

 this session as the meetings proceed, you may all feel that useful, 

 practical and valuable work is being done. Like its older — I will 

 not say more vigorous, but its older sister across the seas, The Royal 

 Society of Canada has been devoting its energy, its talent and its 

 power towards dealing with some of the great problems which we 

 now have to face. It would indeed astonish and gratify the seven- 

 teenth century founders of The Royal Society of London, of which 

 I have the privilege of being a member — though I am afraid it is only 

 through hereditary connection and not through any merit of mine — 

 it would, I say, astonish and gratify those who did so much for the 

 advancement of science in their day, if they could see the practical 

 work the organization that they then called into being has been 

 doing in this tremendous struggle. 



It is a happy combination that The Royal Society and the Confer- 

 ence of Canadian Universities are meeting together to discuss these 

 difficult problems. It is not only with a view of solving many of the 

 immediate and more pressing questions in the conduct of the war, 

 but also in dealing with difficulties that will arise in the approaching 

 period of reconstruction after the war. After all, as has been very 

 frequently said, the war has almost been taken from the battlefield 

 into the laboratory, and the work which is being done in the laboratory 

 day by day is becoming more and more important in this war. But 

 it is equally clear that when this war is brought to a conclusion — 

 when it may be, we cannot say; at any rate we all wish and hope it 

 may be soon — the sooner the better — whenever this war is brought to 

 a victorious conclusion, the capacities which we have discovered and 

 developed, the capacity for production, the capacity of utilizing our 

 resources and making the most of them, will be applied not only to the 

 conduct of the war, but equally well towards gaining the fruits of the 

 war and securing its advantages in peace. (Applause.) 



Now, gentlemen, I venture to make only these few remarks and 

 to offer you my sincere good wishes for the success of your gathering. 

 You meet together in very exceptional and very trying times, but I 

 am quite sure that by an interchange of ideas, by discussion and by 

 investigation of many difficult problems you will do much not only 

 to bring this war to a conclusion, but to make equal preparation for 

 the peace which is to follow it. I wish you every possible success in 

 the conference. You have the brains, you have the power, and I 

 know that you will make the very best use of them. I know that the 

 conference will add very much to the sum of our knowledge and will 

 aid in the solution of our problems. 



