36 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Voi.. XXVIII, 1921 
much by brute force, as was the case in former wars, but was 
won by brains, one set of nations striving to outdo and surpass 
the others by the sheer force of intellect. 
In these reconstruction days the Iowa Academy of Science has 
an important mission to perform. We delight to think of it as 
an organization making its contribution to knowledge, encourag- 
ing its members to build up the waste places in Iowa science, and 
doing our part in every possible relation. 
We have come together in this our thirty-fifth annual gather- 
ing, bringing with us some of the precious sheaves of truth we 
have garnered during the year. The meeting may not be as large 
as the one last year at Iowa City but it should be one of inspira- 
tion to all, and as we separate let us face the future with renewed 
courage, with a stronger determination to continue even more 
actively in our various fields of endeavor. Our number of spe- 
cially trained should increase, and the work we do should be suffi- 
cient in quantity and of that high quality that will give us a good 
standing among other learned societies. We have our own part 
in making our nation a world power in the field of productive 
scholarship. 
