president's address — SECTION E. 157 



This has been expressed by Sir John Keltie* when he remarked, 

 " man ie thei ultimate' factor of the geographical problem, the final 

 object of which is to investigate the correlations which exist be- 

 tween humanity and its geographical environment." 



Mr. Freshfieldf does not underestimate the importance of mor- 

 phological geography when he states: "The physical facts of 

 geography must be treated not only in themselves, but as elements 

 in human history, politics, and commerce." 



Professor Roor bach, I of the University of Pennsylvania found, 

 on personal inquiry amongst a widei circle of the leading 

 geographers, that there was a general consensus of opinion as to 

 the scope of modern geography, namely, " Geography concerns 

 itself with the study of relationships between earth and life, par- 

 ticularly human life." 



Sir John Scott Keltie,§ in referring to the business of the 

 scientific geographer says it "is to sti;dy the great features of the 

 earth's surface in adequate detail, and to investigate the influence 

 of these factors, including climate and hydrographical conditions, 

 on the distribution of other factors on the earth's surface, and 

 es}>ecially of humanity .... this is a department of geo- 

 graphical work which might be carried on indefinitely, and which 

 has important practical bearings on the activities O'f the human 

 race." 



As regards the position of geography in university studies. Dr. 

 Rudmose Brown says:!j " Treated by scientific methods and based 

 on the more fundamental sciences, geography is yet in the nature 

 of a link between subjects in the^ faculties of arts and of pure 

 science, and it might be more so were it not for the exigencies of 

 specialisation and of regulations for degrees, which limit the pos- 

 sible combination of subjects permitted to the student." 



Mr. Freshfieldf says "Geography, the knowledge of the world, 

 we live in, must be taught as a link between the natural sciences 

 and the humanities." 



There can be no doubt as toi the cultural value of geography, 

 and it ought, at the same time, " to awaken an interest and kindle 

 an einchusiasm rivalled by few other sciences."** Professor R. D. 

 Salisbury saysjt "Perhaps no science touches human life and in- 

 terests more closely or in more ways. There is, I am confident, no 

 science which, properly developed and utilized educationally, will 

 do more for the development of good citizenship. Its substance 

 perhaps touches the essence of material life, especially on the 

 human side, more intimately than any other science." 



* "A Half Century of Geographical Progress"; S.G.M., Vol. 31 (1915). p. 629. 



t Pres. Add. Roy.'Geog. Soc, 1917. 



J " The Trend of Modern Geography." G. B. Roorbach, Bi'li. Amer. Geog. Hoc. 

 XLVI. (1914). p. 801-816. 



§ S^e G.B. Roorbach, lor. dt. 



II "The Province of the Geographer," loc. cit. 



*\ Pres. Add., Geog. Joiirii.. July, 1917. 

 ** Professor McCoutt. 

 tt Science, N.S. 47, pp. •325-335. 



