AUSTRALIA 137 



overseas party, in any modification of the programme 

 which might be found desirable.' Representatives 

 of the Federal Council and local executives replied 

 that in their view the scientific and other business 

 of the meeting should proceed, even if some of the 

 social functions should have to be modified. This 

 opinion was endorsed by a telegram of welcome 

 received from the Governor- General (Sir R. Munro- 

 Ferguson, afterwards Lord Novar). As events 

 proved, modifications in the Australian programme 

 were practically negligible, although (to anticipate 

 the chronological order of this summary) the 

 plans for the homeward journeys of many 

 members had to be changed, owing to the 

 requisitioning of vessels for military purposes; also, 

 arrangements for an official visit to New Zealand by 

 a small party were cancelled. A rumour or assump- 

 tion that the entire Australian meeting was cancelled 

 or collapsed became so firmly implanted in the minds 

 of many persons who were not present, that it 

 reappeared years later as a statement of fact in the 

 Press and elsewhere. 



At Melbourne, whither the party proceeded from 

 Adelaide and stayed from August 13 to 19, the first 

 part of the presidential address, two evening dis- 

 courses, and two citizens' lectures were delivered. 

 All the sections met, and sectional presidents' ad- 

 dresses were delivered in five of them. Exactly similar 

 arrangements obtained in Sydney (August 20-26), 

 where the second part of the presidential address was 

 delivered. It had never been anticipated that all 

 the overseas party would make the long journey to 

 Brisbane after the close of the proceedings at Sydney, 

 and some who had intended to do so were compelled 

 by the altered shipping arrangements to return home 



