38 president's address, 



new knowledge is concerned, I am sorry to say that there is liy no 

 means a corresponding ' advancement ' of Science in that signification of 

 the word which imphes the increase of the influence of science in the life 

 of the community, the increase of the support given to it, and of the 

 desire to aid in its progress, to discover and then to encourage and reward 

 those who are specially fitted to increase scientific knowledge, and to 

 ])ring it to bear so as to promote the welfare of the community. I am 

 speaking on a privileged occasion to a body of men who are met together 

 for the Advancement of Science, and I claim the right to say to them, 

 without offence to the representatives of institutions which I criticise, 

 what is in my mind. 



It is, unfortunately, true that the successive political administrators 

 of the affairs of this country, as well as the permanent officials, are 

 altogether unaware to-day, as they were twenty-five years ago, of the 

 vital importance of that knowledge which we call science, and of the 

 urgent need for making use of it in a variety of public affairs. Whole 

 departments of Government in which scientific knowledge is the one 

 thing needful are carried on by ministers, permanent secretaries, assistant 

 secretaries, and clerks who are wholly ignorant of science, and natui'ally 

 enough dislike it since it cannot be used by them, and is in many 

 instances the condemnation of their official employment. Such officials 

 are, of course, not to be blamed, but rather the general indifference of 

 the public to the unreasonable way in which its interests are neglected. 



A difficult feature in treating of this su})ject is that when one mentions 

 the fact that ministers of State and the officials of the public service are 

 not acquainted with science, and do not even profess to understand its 

 results or their importance, one's statement of this very obvious and 

 notorious fact is apt to be regarded as a personal offence. It is difficult 

 to see wherein the offence lies, for no one seeks to blame these officials for 

 a condition of things which is traditional and frankly admitted. 



This is really a very serious matter for the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science to consider and deal with. We repi'esent a line 

 of activity, a group of professions which ai'e in our opinion of vital impor- 

 tance to the well-being of the nation. We know that those interests 

 which we value so highly are not merely ignored and neglected, but are 

 actually treated as of no account or as non-existent by the old-established 

 class of politicians and administratoi's. It is not too much to say that 

 there is a natural fear and dislike of scientific knowledge on the part of a 

 large proportion of the persons who are devoid of it, and wlio would 

 cease to hold, or never have held, the positions of authority or emolument 

 which they now occupy, were scientific knowledge of the matters with 

 which they undertake to deal required of them. This is a thorny subject, 

 and one in which, however much one may endeavour to speak in general 

 terms, it is difficult to avoid causing personal annoyance. Yet it seems 

 to me one which, believing as I do that it is of most urgent importance, 

 it is my duty as youi' President to press upon the attention of the 



