52 
GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS IN BELGIUM 
tional turmoil. Next Congress comes upon the field with feelings 
of closer union than has been possible heretofore, with ardent 
desire to deal with large problems, and with convictions that it 
should broaden its policies. The American member of the organi¬ 
zation committee. Doctor Smith, notes the following resolutions 
for simplifying the activities of the international gathering; (1) 
That the International Geological Congress should be continued, 
modified to meet present conditions; (2) that the question of the 
establishment of an international Geological Union should be con¬ 
sidered at the next International Geological Congress, and that it 
is undesirable that any steps should be taken until the question 
has been so considered at a full and representative gathering of 
geologists; (3) that the organization of the Congress shall be as 
simple as possible consistently with securing continuity of effort 
from one Congress to another; and (4) that the above resolution 
be communicated to the President of the Geological Society of 
London, the Secretary of the Royal Society, and the Secretary 
of the Belgian organization committee of the next International 
Geological Congress. 
The hundred odd geologists from America who attend the Bel¬ 
gian Conference next summer will be especially interested in 
going over the geological setting of the Great War in France. 
Never before was battle fought where geological features were so 
obviously such decisive factors. Never before was it so com- 
pellingly demonstrated that offensive battle should be fought with 
the “grain” of the country instead of across it. 
The myriad parallel cuesta ridges of the Somme and Marne 
battlefields form ramparts which no human ingenuity can match. 
Had Hun hordes but followed the young Crown Prince’s lead and 
marched on parallel lines with the country’s ribs upon Paris the 
whole future of Europe might have undergone magical change. 
The entire globe might have been today Teutonic, a German 
Kaiser might have been ruling on the banks of the Potomac, and 
a holy monarchy might have been reared over the bones of him 
who a century before left behind the purest name in all history. 
But German High Command made defenseless, neutral Belgium 
outweigh all other considerations. It chose the easy beginning; 
but in nearing the French Capital Teuton armies struck traversely 
the cuesta barriers against which mightiest barrage proved as in- 
( 
