The sun., 1901-10-13
eEOGRAPHERs COMING IN 1900.
The Eighth international Geegrsphieai
Congress WIN ne Held In washinsten.

Baron won Richthofen, the famous pro-
fessor Of geography In the University of
Berlin. has just informed President Graham
Bell OF the National Geographic Society of
Washington. that the Executive Committee
Of the Seventh International Ceographical
Congress. which was authorized 10 make
arrangements for holding tho nex, meet
ing. has accepted the Invitation OF tho
Washington society to meet under iis
auspices At our national capital The
Congress will not br held till 1904 and there
will therefore be plenty of time In which
In arrange q programme Of great interest
and value. II will bc the first meeting Of
the Interna tional Congress In IN. Western
world and undoubtedly a larg. number
Of the FOREMOST geographeru % Europe
will be present
The society under whose auspices each
congress In held has charge Of the arrange
mentS. The National Geographic Society,
accordingly. will have nearly everything
to do with the selecting Of topics tina, viii
he most prominent In the deliberations
of the congress II will select men who
are authorities In their special lines 81
geographic study Ia read papers and lad
In the discussions
Before the congress meets. tho large
and handsome home Of the National Gen gra-
phic Society will have been Comple,ed In
Washington The building il na med In honor
OF the late Gardiner q. Hubbard the found
or and first President Of the society, who
lived Ia $50 many hundreds Of persons. inter
ested " geographic science In all parts 81
the country. enrolled among tho members
Baron Won Richthofen. In his letter ac.
cep,ing tho invitation 81 the Washington
society, saws There h., indeed. no plaC,.
better fitted for g'>ographerS 10 assemble
than Washington. which IL the great centre
Of scientific geographical exploration IN
America and tn" distinguished workshop
Of a considerable nuinlIsT of eminent men ~
A conspicuous feature Of most Of thee" CON
gresses has h-en n geographical exhibition
containing n great variety of obJc't- illus
trating the worlds progress IN topographic
and geodetic surveying. map, glohe aud re-
ief-map making the production ot text
books and other school appliances. and soon.
This feature was omitted IN W" last 'un-
gress. held in Berlin. hut II viii b" an i'm
port ant additional attraction II such an
exhibition H. held In connect ion with the
Washington meeting II would certainly
h. helpful 10 the geographical interest oi
this country n such a oulleCtion should I"
formed In Washington and permanently
maintained there under IN" auspices of the
National Geographic Society.
The society has had the assurance from
the other geographical societies OF IN"
country oftheir hearty cooperation In max
ing the meeting Of the cougr"~- succe-s
The geographers Of Washington ehpresH
the hope that IL may he found practicahl"
10 hold sessions Of the cOngres IN a lev
other cities In conjunction with their g'~'-
graphical societies. Such meeting -houh
certainly 10 held. II possible. IN this city
where the American t'"ographical S"Ci"'S
il about 10 open itS new luildlng on Nt~'
Eighty first -trcet The etihc" which THIS
society has lust complrted IL helleveSi 20 b"
the most Commodious and attrHCtiv" struc-
ture occupied by any geographical socie'y
II IN a fitting home for the fine library when
reprenants n half century of book collect
ing. and IL offers facilities for reading
ard work that were not available In the
smaller house 81 long occupied on West
Twenty-ninth stre-'t Rpston IL the nom"
OF the Appalachian Club, Philadelphia oi
the Philadelphia Geographical SnCi"'y, and
Chicago san Francisco and Seattle al~p
have their geographical societies
Excursions are always prominent
feature of these congres-es The Washing
ton society expects to oher its guests an
attractive series of excursions 10 points
of geographic interest. Washington IL
centrally situated In respect OF natural
features that appeal 10 geographic students
Niagara Falls. the Natural Br1dg" oi lir-
ginla. Luray and Mammoth caves are vlthh
easy reach !, is probable INA, in ore re- 90 the
The preparation for one of thc-" inter
national congresses involves an enormous
amount II labor. bu, since the first congress
was held in Antwerp In isan they have been
found To b. worth all they Cost In the geo
graphic results attained and the opportuni-
ties thsy have afforded for social inter
course among the foremost workers In this
f,eid OF kno~ledge The National Geo
graphic society will certainly spare no
effort 20 make the coming Congress
A .uccess We may look for very large
convocation of gcographef- here In 1904