Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 66.djvu/103

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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE.
99
Palace of Education and Social Economy.

an appreciation of its work by Mr. Wm. Harper Davis, of Lehigh University, one of the secretaries. The articles following are addresses given at the congress, which have not been published elsewhere.

International congresses have gradually come to be a part of international expositions. At Paris over a hundred congresses were held, extending through the summer, and the sessions and the subsequent publication of the proceedings form an important chapter in the history of modern science. When the managers of the St. Louis exposition decided to make international congresses a part of their scheme, they appointed a representative administrative board, with President Nicholas Murray Butler, of Columbia University, as chairman. This board adopted the plan proposed by Professor Münsterberg, of Harvard University, to hold one congress of the arts and sciences which should attempt to promote and demonstrate the unity of science. Professor Newcomb was appointed president, and Professors Münsterberg and Small, vice-presidents, and at the same time acted as a committee of organization.

All this is, however, told in Mr. Davis's article. After giving the praise and appreciation that is due, it may be well to call atention to some of the lessons of the congress. It was a fine idea to have the whole range of modern civilization represented in a great international gathering of the leaders in all departments of the sciences