210 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 



Well, I presume that a rectorial address should first say a few wise words about 

 the ocean of life which you are to navigate. But I am afraid I can make you no 

 wiser in that respect, the sea is so rough now, and the mist and sand so dense 

 that it is difficult to see ahead. 



A dangerous sea for the young to navigate, they say. I should think it would 

 be a remarkably interesting voyage. One act of the play is finished, a new act 

 is just beginning. There is ferment everywhere. Old established truths are 

 overthrown, it is for you to find new ones. Yes, indeed, the sea is difficult. Many 

 may be wrecked, perhaps, but all the more will remain to be done by everyone of 

 you who has got the grit to do it. 



My friend Amundsen observed the other day that he was glad he was not 

 born later as then there would have been nothing left for him to explore except 

 the moon. It made one think of Martin Frobisher who, 350 years ago, ''resolved 

 wyth himself to go * * * and to accomplishe" the North- West Passage, "or to 

 bring true certificate of the truth, or else never to returne againe, knowine; this 

 to be the onely thing of the world that was left undone yet, whereby a notable 

 mind mighte be made famous and fortunate." 



Now, it is not the aim and end of life to become "famous and fortunate." It 

 is not so easy as that. You have come here to do your part, and to do it well 

 wherever you are placed. And there have been many things worth doing since 

 Frobisher's days, and will be more than enough for you too, my friends. Let 

 one speak of some of them. We have heard much lately about the decline of 

 European civilisation; it has reached its old age, they say, and is on its way 

 downhill. And amongst other things they point to the lack of originality, and 

 to a certain alarming sterility in the productiveness of the West European brain 

 nowadays, perhaps especially manifesting itself in the art of our time, and in the 

 lack of commanding personalities. But do not allow yourselves to become 

 pessimists. This talk of decline is nothing new. Let us get it into true perspec- 

 tive. We like of course to think that mankind is constantly making progress, it 

 is such a nice comforting idea. But, is it right? Progress implies that we know 

 whither we are going, and we can only advance towards a fixed point. But such 

 such a point is just what is lacking. You will remember that Archimedes long 

 ago said, though in a different connection: "Give me a fixed point and I can lift 

 the earth!" 



Fancy if some of the ancient leaders of thought: Buddha, Socrates, the Christ — ■ 

 came back to us and we showed them all our marvelous inventions and our 

 scientific discoveries, the result of the great progress since their days. Would 

 they not smile indulgently at us — as we smile at our children when they show us 

 their favorite toys? I imagine the following dialog might have taken place 

 between Socrates ; ,nd Marconi: 



Socrates, after having seen all the inventions would say: "This is all very 

 interesting, but what have you learnt about yourself?" 



Marconi: "But do you not see what enormous importance it has for the whole 

 of human life, for business, for economic conditions and development, to be able 

 to convey information quickly!" 



Socrates: "But how has it all helped you? Have you become a better man 

 by it? And if it helps somebody, perhaps others suffer." 



Marconi: "But look at the broadcasting which brings beautiful music and good 

 lectures to thousands, and even to millions of people." 



Socrates: "How then do these people get time for that which is infinitely more 

 important, to think for themselves." 



No, we have no reason to boast outselves better than our fathers. Indeed, it 

 is doubtful whether there is any proof of the superiority of the so-called civilized 

 man over his "uncivilized" ancestors. Let us go back some 5,000 or 6,000 years 

 to the ancient Egyptians, living in a stone age. When we see what those people 

 accomplished with their implements, can we say honestly that we feel ourselves 

 superior to them? 



And if we go back 12,000 or 15,000 years we find the Cro-Magnon people, a race 

 certainly in no respect inferior to any of us, with a magnificent stature, taller than 

 we are, 6 feet, three inches in height, and what skulls. Look at that beautiful 

 high arch of intelligence from their fine forehead to the neck — a cranium with one- 

 sixth more brain than that of the modern European. Fancy if such a man had 

 the education and knowledge of an undergraduate of our days, what could he not 

 have made out of life if placed in our midst? They would certainly have done at 

 least as well as any of us. 



Oh, no, my friends, let us be modest. The rising trend of evolution, which 

 carried our ancestors from the level of the apes to that of the Cro-Magnon people, 



