June 20, 1907] 



NA TURE 



177 



less practical importance, are not immediately 

 recognisable by those whose imagination has been 

 stunted by the methods employed in their own youth. 

 An inadequate cramping education tends to prolong 

 itself; for youth, with all its hidden powers calling for 

 development, must submit to the methods imposed bv 

 age. It is probable that no branch of the human race 

 is more difficult to move than our own. The thought 

 sometimes arises that salvation can only be found, if 

 at all, by national disaster; and then, under modern 

 conditions, the remedy may be too late and recoverv 

 impossible. About forty years ago Huxley delivered 

 the powerful and eloquent addresses on education re- 

 printed in " Lay Sermons, Addresses, and Reviews," 

 and yet the same subject is felt to be still the para- 

 mount question of the hour when one of our foremost 

 scientific men is invited to deliver the Romanes 

 lecture in 1905. It is disheartening to read Huxley's 

 admirable and convincing essays and to realise how 

 small has been the effect. But a reformer who would 

 achieve anything must not give way to despondency : 

 it is only by hope and confidence in the future that 

 mankind can be moved. .\nd this latest appeal has 

 one great advantage over the old. The history of 

 man could not have been spoken of forty years ago 

 as it can to-day; his interference with nature is also 

 far more evident. In this latest appeal, the imagin- 

 ation of the author aroused bv the.se considerations 

 has originated the splendid argument founded on the 

 deeds, the delay, and yet, in spite of delay, the in- 

 evitable triumphant destinv of^ man. It is not too 

 much to hope that the power and the onward sweep 

 of this great argument will carry away manv an old 

 but not time-honoured barrier, and many an obstacle 

 built up, alas, in modern limes, intervening between 

 man and the race that is set before him. E. B. P. 



INTERN ATI Oh'. IL ASSOCIATION OF 

 ACADEMIES. 



A BRIEF note on the third triennial general 

 ■^*- assembly appeared in N.iiuRE for May 30. The 

 following academies were represented : — .Amsterdam, 

 Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Christinnia, Gotting^n, 

 Copenhagen, Leipzig, London (R.Soc), London 

 (B.Acad.), Madrid, 'Munich, Paris (Belies-Letires), 

 Paris (Sciences), Paris (.Morales et Politiques), St. 

 Petersburg, Rome, Stockholm, Tokio, Washington, 

 Vienna. The English representatives mentioned in 

 Nature for May 30 were all present with the excep- 

 tion of Sir Norman Lockyer. 



The proceedings opened on the morning of May 

 29 with a brief address froTii Prof. Suess, the presi- 

 dent. Dr. Bohm-Bawerk (Vienna) was nominated 

 vice-president, and the following as secretaries : — 

 German, Gomperz (\'ienna), von Lang (Vienna); 

 French, de Lapparent (Paris), .Senart (Paris); English, 

 Turner (London), Gollancz (London). 



M. Darboux (Paris) then announced that a medal 

 had been struck by the French Cjovernment in honour 

 of the first meeting at Paris. He presented the first 

 copy to the Vienna Academy, and said that a copy 

 would be sent to each constituent academy. The 

 assembled representatives of science had been pictured 

 on the medal as young girls, and, though scarcely in 

 accord with the apuearances round him at the 

 moment, this representation had at least the merit of 

 sutrjjesting that science was always voung. 



It was decided bv small majorities not to place on 

 the agenda paper either the selection of an auxiliary 

 language or the proposal for a symbolic nomenclature 

 for machinery. Other questions dealt with at this 

 meeting related to statutes and procedure. 



NO. 1964, VOL. 76] 



On Thursday, May 30, the association met in two 

 sections. In the section of science the report of the 

 Brain Commission was received and placed on the 

 minutes, no vote of approval being necessary since 

 this commission has autonomous powers. A com- 

 mittee appointed in 1904 by the association to " con- 

 sider the best method of bringing existing organis- 

 ations into relation with the association " reported 

 that they had made certain suggestions to the Inter- 

 national Seismological Association which had been 

 adopted, and that in consequence it had become pos- 

 sible for the United States, .-\ustria, and England to 

 join that association, while the adhesion of France 

 was confidently expected. 



Sir George Darwin presented a report on the pos- 

 sible cooperation of the International Geodetic Asso- 

 ciation in geological researches, by means of the study 

 of anomalies in the value of gravity. There were 

 difficulties (especially from lack of funds) in organising 

 such cooperation; but the appanatus ot Baron Eotvos 

 seemed likely to give just the information desired, and 

 it was to be hoped that the Hungarian Government 

 would encourage experiments with this apparatus. 



Prof, von Than announced that the Hungarian 

 Government had promised a sum of 60,000 kronen 

 annuallv for three years for work with the apparatus 

 of Baron Eotvos. This announcement was naturally 

 received with acclamation, and it was resolved to 

 tender cordial thanks to the Hungarian Government. 

 It was also decided to represent to the Italian Govern- 

 ment the great importance of similar researches in 

 the neighbourhood of active viilcanoes such as \'esu- 

 vius. 



A report bv M. Ch. Lallemand on levelling opera- 

 tions urged the desirability of repeating precise level- 

 lings two or three times per century in all countries, 

 in order to determine possible changes. 



.\s bearing on the general importance of the work 

 of the Geodetic .\ssociation, M. Darboux referred to 

 the work of Prof. Milne in directing attention to the 

 possible connection between variation of latitude and 

 seismic phenomena. 



\^"ith regard to the survey of the 30th meridian of 

 longitude. Sir G. Darwin was able to report, on the 

 authoritv of Sir David Gill, that the survey was now 

 approaching the northern limits of British territory, 

 where it was hoped that it would be taken over by 

 Germanv and carried through German territory. Fur- 

 ther, that there was a good prospect that certain R.E. 

 officers would be able to survey 2° of the meridian, in 

 the neighbourhood of the Equator, and that Captain 

 Lyons, F.R.S., the director of the Egyptian Survey, 

 was hoping to begin the Iriangulation of the Nile 

 Vallev in the coming winter. 



.An interesting report of the Marey Institute was 

 received, including the announcement of munificent 

 assistance from the French Government and the city 

 of Paris. Here again the .Association hastened to 

 tender cordial thanks for generous Government aid to 

 science. 



The proposal of the Royal Societ\- for a committee 

 on lunar nomenclature was adopted without opposi- 

 tion ; and the following were nominated to serve on 

 the committee, with power to add to their number : — 

 Loewy (chairman), Newcomb, \\'eiss, Franz, Saunder, 

 and Turner. 



The Internation.il Union for Solar Research suc- 

 cessfully solicited the patronage of the association, in 

 token whereof thev were to report to it every three 

 years, and to reserve one place on the executive com- 

 mittee (of three members) for a member to be nomin- 

 ated by the leading academy for the time being. It 

 was unanimouslv decided, on the motion of Prof. 

 H.-de (Washington), respcctfullv to invite the .\usfrian 



