Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
Recent Congress Of Arts and
Sciences at St. Louis.
MOST NOTED sAVANTS
WORLDS GREATEST ASSEMBLAGE
OF INTELLECTUAL MEN.
Faculties Of Every American and
Foreign College and University
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
ST. LOUIS, October 5, 1904.
1t is the unanimous opinion of those VINO
are in a position to judge, that the recent
congress of arts and sciences was the most
notable assemblage of intellectual aho
learned men that has ever been gathered
together since the world began. Among
it's members were the most eminent saVants
in every branch of learning and every
field of human endeavor. Prof. Simon New
comb of Washington, perhaps the foremost
of American scientists, who was presi-
dent of the congress, says:
1.-THE assemblage of such a body was
scarcely possible in any preceding genera
ton, and is made possible now only through
the agency of science itself. 1t differs from
all preceding international meetings by the
universally of its scope, which aims 10
include the whole of knowledge. 1t Is also
unique in that none but leaders have been
sought out as members. 1t is unique In
that so many lands have delegated their
choicest intellects to carry on its work.
They come from the country to winch our
republic is indebted for third or It's ter
ritory including the ground on which we
stand; from the land which has taught US
that the most scholarly devotion to the
languages and learning of the clustered
past is compatible with leadership In the
practical application of modern science 10
the arts of life; from the island whose
language and literature have found new
field and vigorous growth in this REGION
from the last seat of the holy Roman EN-
pire; from the country which, remembering
a monarch who made an Astronomical OBJ
servation at the Greenwich observatory,
has enthroned science in one Of the highest
places in it's government; from the PENN
sula so learned that we have invited one
of it's scholars to come and tell us OF our
own language; from the land which gave
birth to Leonardo, Calico, Torricelli, Co
lumbus, Volta-what an array of immortal
nameS-from the little republic of glorious
history which; breeding men rugged as ats
eternal snow peaks, has yet been the seat
of scientific Investigation since the day OF
Bernouflis; from the land whose heroic
jewellers did not hesitate to use the ocean
itself to protect it against invaders, and
which now makes us marvel at the amount
of erudition compressed within its little
area; from the nation across the PACING
which, by half a century of unequaled prog
ress in the arts Of life, has made an I'M
portant contribution of evolutionary science
through demonstrating the falsity of the
theory that the most ancient races are
doomed to be left in the rear of the adj
vancing age-in a word, we have the fore
most men from every great center of III
tellectual activity on the globe"
College Faculties Represented.
The faculties of every American college
of prominence and of every great university
in the world were represented by their best
men. The program embraced formal ad-
dresses from members of. the. faculties of
the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edin-
burgh Dublin. London, Glasgow, Manches-
ter, Birmingham, the Royal, Institute of
London, the University College OF Bristol
and other English institutions; from the
University of Paris, the Sorbonne, the Col
lege of France, the French Academy, the
School of Oriental Languages of Berlin and
the University of Lorraine. The universities
Of Berlin, Leipsic, Heidelberg, Bonn, Err
langen Breslau, kiel and Dresden sent their
foremost men, The greatest scholars in
Italy were there The universities of Copen
hagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam. Groningen,
Holland, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Brus-
sells, Munich, Geneva, Pulkowa and Jena,
Russia Japan sent her most learned men
and Mexico and Central and South America
were ably represented. Indeed no nation in
the world which pretends to rank in the
advance of civilization was absent.
The object of the gathering, as explained
by President Harper of Chicago University,
who has been one of the promoters and or
ganiZers, was three-fold:
I'm the first place, to secure such gen.
eral survey of the various fields of learning
with all their subdivisions and multiplica-
ton of specialties as would at the same
time set forth their mutual rela tons and
connections, and likewise constitute an eff
fort toward the unification of knowledge,
This idea Of unity has, perhaps, been up
permost in the minds of all concerned with
the work of organizing the congress.
I'm the second place to provide a plat
form from which might be presented the
varic us problems, solution of which will
be expected of the scholarship of the future.
This includes a recognition of the funda-
mental PRINCIPLES and conceptions that I'M
1soE
fore serve necessarily as the basis of all
such future work. Here again the controll-
ing idea was that of unity and law; in
other words, universal law.
I'm the third place, to bring together In
person and spirit, distinguished investiga-
tors and scholars from all the countries of
the world, in order that, by contact of one
with another, mutual sympathy may be
effected among those whose life work leads
them far apart. There still again unity
OF result was sought for, and found'
Contribution of the Exposition.
Early IN the organization of the exposi-
zion, Mr. Skif suggested the idea of bring
ing together at st. Louis all the greatest
minds in the world. Fred w. Lehman,
chairman of the committee on congresses,
took up the matter with his usual energy
the board of directors recognized the merits
of the proposition, and the sum of S15OOOO
was appropriated to pay the expenses.
Recognizing the fact that learning and pow
erty usually go hand in hand. and that the
majority of scholars are dependent upon
small salaries, it was decided to offer each
of the foreign delegates an honorarium of
$500 to pay his expenses. and each of the
Americans $50.
An administrative board of seven MEM
bers was appointed to carry out the plan,
which consisted of Howard j. Rogers, chief
of the department of education who was
made director of congresses. President
NicholaS Murray Butler of Columbia Uni
versty, New York; President William r.
Harper Of the University of Chicago, Presi-
dent R. II. Jesse of the University of Mis-
souri,, President Henry s. Pritchett of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her
bert Putnam, Librarian of Congress. and
Frederick J. v. Skiff, director of the Field
Columbian Museum, Chicago This board
had several meetings, and after formulating
a plan appointed commission of three del,
egates: Prof. Simon Neweomb of Washing
ton, Prof Muensterberg of Harvard and
Prof Albion w. Small of the University of
Chicago. to visit the several countries of
Europe, 10 explain the purpose and the pro-
gram of the proposed Congress to the
learned societies, and to deliver In person
Invitations to distinguished men whose
participation was desired.
One hundred and thirty invitations were
presented to foreign scholars and scientists.
lit were accepted. and 105 of the gentle,
men appeared in st. Louis and nartici-
pated in the proceedings. Each one Of