L. Troost 
years. If in a Western World of undersupply of young scientists and engineers this rapid 
progress and the terrific amount of original thinking and imagination associated with it 
would stimulate a larger number of undecided students to enter the maritime sciences, and 
their teachers to a more and more imaginative approach of their subjects, an event as the 
one that is being launched today would be more than justified, quite apart from the value of 
its transactions of papers and discussions for the profession. 
That our friends of the American Navy have considered the Netherlands as a place fit 
for this grand-style demonstration of progressiveness in ocean transport research, and the 
Wageningen Modelbasin as a worthy partner in this enterprise, is a source of deep satisfac- 
tion to the Organization I have the honor to represent here, and to the Dutch people as a 
whole. Traditionally devoted to welcoming foreign scholars and creative thinkers in a long 
history on these crossroads of European trade and traffic, science and culture, there may 
be few places where gratitude for assistance after World War II and for acceptance of 
Western World leadership have matured to such an extent of warm understanding of the ways 
of the American people and in general to such a degree of international orientation. These 
feelings of genuine friendship and hospitality prevailing here have given rise to a remark- 
able amount of international exchange of scientists, engineers, and students in our and 
other professions, not only with regard to the United States but also to the great majority of 
the countries whose delegates are assembled here. 
Myself being an exponent of this international exchange, and having promoted it during 
my entire career, I have found quite some opportunity to compare the ways of engineers and 
scientists in our profession from this and the other side of the ocean. Let me say at once 
that I found them basically and on the average to be the same. Internationally seen, their 
characteristics, in a favorable sense, are defined by the fact that usually their road to 
immortality is not paved with dollars or an equivalent currency. Many of them have lately 
become a little more restless and inclined to change of occupation or surroundings, and not 
only for the above reason. But all of them have one thing in common, and also with the 
category of naval officers so happily represented in this audience: they have managed to 
marry attractive and sensible girls, who in the atmosphere of art and science have matured 
to the wonderful crop of gracious women here present, the unexcelled helpmates of those 
whose scientific productivity and creativity are so greatly dependent on these fortunate 
circumstances. It is to you, fair ladies, that my first word of welcome to the Netherlands 
goes out as well as my wishes that you may feel happily at home, but delightfully different 
from home, in this little country of vanishing windmills and wooden shoes, but vastly 
increasing industrialization. As an inveterate conference-goer I have already seen at a 
first glance that this one is going to be quite O.K. from the social point of view, which is 
at least as important, if not more, than from that of the scientific program. It is greatly 
dependent on your graciousness and understanding that the male attendants under your com- 
mand come together in those friendly and personal shop-talking sessions which are so 
important to the informal scientific give-and-take and essential to those stimulating inter- 
national friendships and professional relations which, even more than the formal papers and 
discussions, will define the lasting value of this Symposium. 
To you, Officers of ONR and NSMB, sponsors of this important event, have already 
gone my feelings of deep appreciation for your endeavors in locating this Third Symposium 
in the Netherlands. Its dedication to the great Sir Thomas Havelock will be introduced by 
a man far more famed and worthy to this task than anybody else here present. This befits 
me only to the passing remark that someone has had a most wonderful idea in proposing the 
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