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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1214 



should be associated with geology in a sec- 

 tion of this association. 



But a new science of geography is grow- 

 ing up, almost unknown to those who are 

 not concerned directly with its develop- 

 ment. It is perhaps not yet very sharply 

 defined, even to those who know it hest, 

 and hardly defined at all to others. It is 

 clear that it is to center about the influ- 

 ences of earth features and earth resources 

 on the distribution, character, and activi- 

 ties of life — life of all kinds. To what 

 proportions this subject may develop, and 

 how sharply its limits will be set, is not 

 yet clear; but it is making giant strides 

 where conditions for its development are 

 favorable. It is actuated by the high mo- 

 tives of all science, one of which is the 

 desire for truth for its own sake ; but even 

 more it is actuated by the desire to render 

 its truth serviceable to mankind. Its field 

 overlaps, in varying degrees, the fields of 

 geology, physical geography, meteorology, 

 botany, zoology, history, economics, and 

 perhaps other sciences. But it uses the 

 facts and principles of these sciences in 

 explanation of the distribution, character 

 and activities of life. The physical found- 

 ation for this new science of geography is 

 geology, using that term as we should, to 

 include all the earth, not merely the litho- 

 sphere. Wliether this new science will be- 

 long properly in the same section of this 

 association as geology, is an open question. 

 Some phases of it do not find their closest 

 relationships here, while others do. The 

 subject as now conceived by those who are 

 its leaders touches the life and welfare of 

 the human race as intimately and as fun- 

 damentally as any other science. 



There is one other aspect of tooth geology 

 and geography, which gives them great ed- 

 ucational value. Neither science is com- 

 pleted or nearing completion. There are 

 great things ahead in both. As an organ- 



ized science, geology is older than geog- 

 raphy, at least older than geography in 

 its modern sense, and is the more ad- 

 vanced. "While geology has made phenom- 

 enal advances in the last half century, the 

 problems ahead are so numerous and so 

 interesting that even an elementary course 

 in the subject, properly developed, opens 

 up great vistas for the future. I believe 

 it to toe fundamentally important that 

 young people should be led to see visions, 

 and be inspired by the allurements of future 

 development. Nothing is more conducive 

 to a right attitude toward life in general, 

 than the feeling of the possibility of par- 

 ticipation in the progress of the future. 

 In this, geology is not peculiar. Only as 

 it is less advanced than some other sciences 

 has it the advantage over them in this 

 respect. In saying this, I am not losing 

 sight of the fact that but few of those who 

 give attention to geology in their student 

 days will ever go farther; but a compre- 

 hension of what is likely to come stimulates 

 an abiding interest, and abiding interest 

 in various lines of work and thought are 

 important elements in a good education. 



In modern geography the promise is per- 

 haps even greater, since less has been ac- 

 complished. Perhaps no science touches 

 human life and interests more closely, or 

 in more ways. There is, I am confident, 

 no science which, properly developed and 

 utilized educationall.y, will do more for 

 the development of good citizenship. Its 

 substance perhaps touches the essence of 

 material life, especially on the human side, 

 more intimately than any other science. 

 No other science and no other subject, un- 

 less it be sociology and possibly modern 

 history, is likely to do so much to promote 

 sympathetic understanding between the na- 

 tions of the earth, and this is one of the 

 greatest desiderata not only of this day 

 and generation, but of all days and genera- 



