PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 373 



before. But war is only an incident. After the fighting we 

 come again to peaceful action ; and in my opinion that peaceful 

 action will be far more energetic than ever before since the world 

 began. It is not all mischief that is coming upon us. Losing our 

 income, we shall gain new habits of industry and economy. New 

 inventions, not of war but of peace, will pour over the face of the 

 civilized world, including the tropics, which must contribute their 

 portion to the common welfare. Although at present, in the 

 beginning of a war that may be of tremendous force, yet I look 

 beyond it and see a great and peaceful world in the future. As 

 the Secretary of State lately said, I look underneath all this ex- 

 citement upon the surface and see a peaceful solution of the whole 

 matter. 



Mr. Churchill said that in his former remarks he had had no 

 reference to machines but to such inventions in tropical climates 

 as were demanded by the civilization of that day, such as the 

 invention of paper in Egypt, of the melting of metals, polishing 

 of jewels, and digging of canals for irrigation. These inventions 

 are not of the same class as those of the 19th century, but were 

 among the pressing necessities of that day. We ma}'" now clearly 

 trace the part to be taken by the tropical climates when they 

 cease to be occupied by barbarous nations and become a part of 

 civilized humanity. A good machine must have a good man by 

 the side of it. The tropical climates must be looked to as the 

 sources to supply the raw material to feed the machinery, 

 invented, manufactured, and repaired by the north. The pro- 

 duction of the south depends upon the demand by the north. 



Mr. Fisher cited as an illustration of the reaction of inven- 

 tion upon tropical climates, the efforts to introduce in India at 

 the present time either the traction engine or some other means 

 of getting the cotton to market, in anticipation of the failure to 

 receive it from the southern states. 



ICE AND METHODS OF REFRIGERATION. 



This subject was postponed to and made the special order for 

 the next meeting. Adjourned. 



