57 



Congress, or before that event for publication by the 

 International Association. 



I have ventured to suggest three questions of general 

 importance for special consideration which it may be 

 convenient to deal with in this way. 



(i) The establishment of an Imperial College of 

 Tropical Agriculture, (2) the formation of a British 

 Institute of Tropical Agriculture, which more par- 

 ticularly concerns the British Section of the Inter- 

 national Association, and (3) the question of the con- 

 stitution of the International Association considered as 

 a federation of Central Societies in the capitals of 

 European countries, in communication with Agricul- 

 tural Societies and Institutions in the tropics. 



I may now bring this address already, I fear, too 

 long to a close with an expression of the hope that the 

 first meeting of the Congress in the capital of the British 

 Empire may result not only in a satisfactory interchange 

 of views between the representatives of various nations 

 and the advancement of several important matters of 

 tropical agriculture, but also contribute to the formation 

 of those personal friendships between agriculturists of 

 different nationalities which have such a powerful 

 influence in promoting that extension of knowledge 

 which is our common desire. 



The Right Hon. Sir GEORGE REID, G.C.M.G. 

 (High Commissioner for Australia) : Mr. President, my 

 Lords, and Gentlemen When I was very reluctantly 

 emerging from my slumbers this morning I was con- 

 fronted with a letter from your two invaluable Secre- 

 taries, sending me a copy of the President's address, 

 and asking that I should move a vote of thanks. 

 Now there are several reasons why I at once accepted 

 this task. In the first place I am fully aware, as the 

 representative of Australia in this country, of the in- 

 tense zeal and ability with which Professor Dunstan 

 fills his highly responsible and publicly useful post as 

 Director of the Imperial Institute. 



I do not think I have ever seen this Imperial Institute 

 to greater advantage than I do just now, in the presence 

 of this remarkable and distinguished assembly of the 

 representatives of tropical agriculture of all nations. 

 Now I had another reason for accepting the task at 



