Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-11-07
5000 at Baltimore in
December.
Committee Of One Hundred Now
at Work.
Association Divided Into Fifty
Distinct Sections.

Baltimore, Md, Nov. 6.-Durlng
Christmas week Baltimore VIII nave
the gest gathering Of Scientists tnat
has ever heen here at any one time IN
its history More than 1000 OF the
most eminent biologists. BIOLOGISTS
chemists, ootanists, archeologlsts, etc.,
will come to Baltimore to attend the
annual convention of the National AS
sociatior for the Advancement of Sci
cnce.
A committee of 10C, Of which DR.. VII
liam H. Welch is chairman, is now
working on the plans for the enter
tainment, and during the latter part of
this week Will hold meeting atwhich
an executive committee will be elected
This executive committee will have
charge of the details of the arrange
ments, and will report to the larger
committee from time to time.
The Johns Hopkins University people
will be the official hosts of the conVen-
ton, but the other institutions of learn
ing in the city will be represented on
the committee, as we'll as the large
business organizations. Aside from the
sessions CT The convention, there Will
be many entertainments given during
the week, and ii will be one of the busi-
est for local professional men for many
years.
There will be sessions of the national
association itself, but every day vari-
Gus sections will meet in places assign
I'd to them. This body is divided into
about SO sections, one for each of the
various branches of scientific research
vel n tha hnlv Each nf
these sections is an association unto
itself. and, therefore, the national as
sociation is really an association Of as
sociations The largest of the sections
is that of chemistry, and certain bran
ches Of physics. These larger bodies
have membership of anywhere from
2oo to 500. While many of the small sec
tions have memberships of only about
80 The average membership of the
section is about 100.
The National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Sciences is the most I'M
portant scientific organization in Am
erica. and among the most important
in the " orld. Its meetings are watched
with eagerneSs and intense interest by
scientists Of every continent. The
Cnited States government so highly re-
CARDS the association and attaches so
much importance to its meetings that
it sends most expert men in every sci
entific branch OF its activities to make
full and complete reports. These re-
ports are used for reference all during
the year and are regarded as the last
word oi any subject coming up, con-
neCted with the question of which they
treat, until the succeeding annual con-
vention. TO be elected to the presiden-
| cy of the various selections is regarded
| as the gratest goal of any American
| scientist in his particular line, and to
| be elected president of the National
Association carries with it the honor
| Of being the leading man in the scien-
| tific field i'll the United States. Both
| DR.. Remsen, the president of the Johns
| Hopkins University, and DR.. William
| Fl. Welch have been president of the
national organization, and DR.. Remsen
has been president of the chemistry
| division a number of times, being re-
elected as long as he would accept the
position. and only declining the honor,
when he became president of the Johns
| Hopkins University, on account of the
| fact that he had not the time to devote
10 properly fulfilling the duties OF the
| noSitjon