278 



NATURE 



[October 28, 1920 



pedient; undoubtedly the Sectional proceedings should 

 DC of a ditlerent type, but in trying to secure one 

 good object we must not drop another, and we have 

 reason to believe that the Sectional oHicers are well 

 aware of the needs and wishes of the members, and 

 are doing their best to satisfy them. 



Next, as regards the number of Sections. With- 

 out rehearsing all the arguments in detail, it may be 

 accepted as common knowledge that there are weighty 

 considerations on both sides. Who, then, is to ad- 

 judicate between them ? The people concerned or 

 others? It would seem an almost necessary admis- 

 sion that in each particular case there must be par- 

 ticular considerations which can be truly evaluated 

 only by the people concerned (who must at the 

 same time be impressed, as we all are, by the general 

 undesirability of multiplying Sections), and that a 

 persistent arid reasonable application from them must 

 be seriously considered and liberally met. It does 

 not advance science to boycott the younger sciences. 

 Thus at the present time' the Physiological Section, 

 having tried a Sub-Section of Psychology for several 

 years, having debated the alternative of a full Section 

 for Psychology in several assemblies, and having met at 

 least one powerful objection, came before the General 

 Committee at Cardiff with an unopposed recom- 

 mendation for an independent Psychological Section. 

 No dissentient voice was raised in Committee, and no 

 suggestion of further postponement was made. The 

 officers (and staff), on whom fall many of the dis- 

 advantages of the multiplication of Sections, scarcely 

 feel that they can oppose such a motion if no other 

 opposition is forthcoming, and if the council concurs 

 it will be to give effect to a preponderance of 

 reasoned opinion. 



On the other hand, there was some years ago a 

 movement for the subdivision of Section .\. It was 

 fuUv considered by the Section and rejected, which 

 mav be taken as "evidence that the tendency to sub- 

 division is not automatic, and therefore to be resisted 

 automatically. The practical requirements of 

 Sections have always varied widely, and the plan of 

 leaving the decision chiefly to the people concerned 

 ha*; much to be said in its favour. 



Prooosals for joint meetings between Sections and 

 for closer co-operation between groups of related 

 Sections — Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering ; 

 Zoology, Botany, and Physiology; Geography and 

 Anthropology ; or between any of these (and especially 

 Engineering or .Agriculture) and Economics or Educa- 

 tion — are not new ; they were carefully examined 

 afresh by the council shortlv before the war, and the 

 informal conference last sprinj? led to fresh efforts 

 in this direction. Sir William Pone's suggestion of a 

 special advisory bodv to assist in plannine: each 

 annual meeting could be realised at any time bv joint 

 action of the actual organising committees of the 

 Sections, which are constituted at the close of each 

 annual meetinr', and are often consulted by the 

 council in Sectional emergencies during the rear. 



The presentation of a retrospect of recent advances 

 of knowledge in each Section or in practical applica- 

 tions of scientific work is asrain a matter for Sec- 

 tional arrantjement. Formerly 'there were forma! 

 reoorts of this kind drawn uo bv responsible com- 

 mittees and presented in print for discussion ; latterly 

 such a sumrnarv has often bepn the theme of a Sec- 

 tional nresident's address, and sometimes of one of 

 the nublic discourses or the citizens' lectures. It 

 would be easv for related Sections to arrange foi- 

 such papers in turn, so as to cover the whole field 

 in a rvcle of years. Tn this and similar matters of 

 procedure the policy of the .Association has been to 

 give the fullest freedom to the Sectional officers to 



NO. 2661. VOL. 106] 



adopt or modify suggestions coming in general terms 

 from the council or Irom our friendly critics, and the 

 Sectional officers have every encouragement to ex- * 

 change suggestions and experiences with one another 

 and with the general officers. The council does its 

 best to select for evening discourses and other general 

 discussions men eminent in science and accomplished 

 exponents of its broader aspects ; and the general 

 ofticers and local executive spare no pains to ensure 

 that they have every facility and convenience that 

 experience may suggest. Occasional failures are, 

 perhaps, inevitable in so difficult an art as public 

 lecturing; the .Association may fairly claim to be 

 judged by those discourses which are remembered 

 through the years, and they are not a few. 



The circumstances of different localities vary so 

 much that it has been difficult, and would probably 

 be unwise, to insist on close adherence to any one 

 type of programme. Only those who attend habituallv 

 know how flexible our arrangements are, how greatly 

 one annual meeting differs from another, or how 

 much of what some of our most outspoken critics 

 desire is actually being done informally in the intervals 

 of a very elastic time-table. 



The annual tenure of presidents and vice-presidents 

 of Sections and of the local secretaries introduces a 

 large elerjient of " fresh blood," and many of the best 

 expedients for economy of time and effort have been 

 contributed by annual officers. Recorders and secre- 

 taries hold office rather longer, but they are usually 

 chosen from the younger members, and pass on to 

 other duties quite as rapidly as is consistent with the 

 continuity of experience necessary for the smooth 

 working of a meeting. We are making considerable 

 demands on the time of both classes of officers 

 throughout the year, and gratefully acknowledge their 

 keen and loval co-operation in working out the pro- 

 posals which we put before them or which result 

 ifrom their own experience. 



We are verv sensible of the difficulty of including, 

 even into an eight days' meeting, all the opportunities 

 for discussion or for exposition of scientific work 

 which various critics desire ; and we would beg that 

 the experience of the meetings in 191Q and i()2o, which 

 were, perforce, limited to five working davs, may 

 not be regarded as typical of what the .Association 

 is trying to accomplish since the war. From these 

 abbreviated meetings, however, and from the varied 

 war experiences of our keenest members, we believe 

 that we have learned some economies of procedure ; 

 and as our Edinburgh hosts promise us a normal 

 Wednesday-to- Wednesday meeting in 192 1, we have 

 some hope of realising much that has been offered 

 so frankly bv your correspondents for our guidance. 



To make the annual meeting more %videly known in 

 advance and its purpose better understood, we rely, 

 first, on the co-operation of the Press, and especially 

 of scientific and technical periodicals such as Natirk. 

 There is, we believe, a larger public than ever 

 before for clearly written and accurately informed 

 articles on scientific subjects, and especially on the 

 public services rendered by scientific research, and we 

 should welcome every opportunity of assisting com- 

 petent reporters and other journalists to obtain trust- 

 worthy information on such matters, both at the 

 annual meeting and in advance. But it has been f.n 

 increasing trouble in recent years that representatives 

 of the Press do not always display either the pre- 

 liminary knowledge or the journalistic training which 

 might enable them to forecast intelligibly or to 

 chronicle accurately the substance of a scientific 

 discussion, however fullv apprehended by other 

 classes of "camp followers." Shorthand, for 

 example, is an accomplishment which we have 



