Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-22
International Congress Wei
coined by Secretary Straus.
DIET OF PILGRIM FATHERS
Because They Ate Sea Food They
Were Brainy, Says Cabinet Officer.
SLATE OF OFFICERS APPROVED
Secretary Root Receives Foreign
Delegates-Prof. P. P. G. Hoek Of
Holland Answers to Welcome.

| long course of fish diet was reSpon
| sible to a large degree for the high men
| tality of the pilgrim fathers and for the
developed genius of the progeny. according
to what Secretary Straus told the interna-
tional fishery congress in welcoming them
to Washington today.
| The Secretary of Commerce and Labor
was the host of honor, as it Were and
made the welcoming address to the con-
gress at it's first meeting at Hubbard
Memorial Hall.
| According to authentic histories he said
the pilgrim fathers lived almost ex-
| clusively on fish diet during the first
| two years of their sojourn on the bleak
| New England coast. 1t was this adher-
| ence to high-class brain food that de-
veloped their brains.
| 1t was we'll known, he added that al
most the entire population of the United
States was divided into two classes-those
who were descended from the pilgrim
| fathers and those who claimed to be, so
| that the genius displayed by America, a s
| whole, could be we'll traced back to
| those early days and the devotion OF the
| early pilgrims to the food it was the work
of the congress to preserve.
Dry Fish, Thirst, Rum.
There was another historic fact. said
Mr.. Straus. that was worthy of note about
those early New England days. Dried
and salted fish was one of the first and
most important articles of commerce
Now dried and salted fish was one of the
| best thirst producers in the world, and
| this probably accounted in large part
| for the thriving trade In rum carried on
with the West Indies.
To be sure there was wave OF prom
| bition now sweeping over New England,
but it was possible that the population In
| the first two or three centuries OF the
| country history felt that they had
secured all the West Indian alcohol they
were entitled to and were now willing TO
sit back and give the rest of the world
| a chance.
| Secretary Straus said. by way of excuse,
| that he felt moved to talk of the historic
aspect of fishing in the United states TO
cover his lack of scientific knowledge as
| to the modern development of the art he
wanted to assure the delegates. however.
of a hearty and cordial welcome to the
United States.
District Commissioner Henry l.. West.
on behalf OF the city of Washington, ex-
| tended welcome to the congress.
American Society's Welcome.
DIR. II. NJ. Smith spoke to the congress
| on behalf of the American branch of the
organization. He sketched in part the
history of fish culture in the United
| States, saying:
ut Is not inappropriate that on this oc-
casion an opportunity should be anordeo
| the American Fisheries Society to join
| with the United States government and
| the city of Washington in extending
| welcome to those who have come from
| afar to participate in this gathering OF
| the fishermen of all nations. For the So
| ciety feels that its objects, its accomplish
ments and its affiliations entite it to a
voice in these proceedings.
Forty years ago fish culture was an
| absorbing theme among a small band OF
American pioneers by whom the creation
| of "a fishery bureau under government
| control was strongly advocated. A few
| years later. when these fish lovers had
| banded themselves together in a society,
they continued their agitation and exerted
| a decided influence in inducing Congress
| to establish the national bureau of fish
cries.
"A Ii tile later. when it was seen that
the law Incorporating the bureau contained
| no provijion for the artificial propagation
| of food fishes, this same society, on whose
| behalf / have the honor to speak. per-
| suadcd Congress to authorize and make
| special appropriation for fish culture,
| which has since been conducted a
yearly increasing scale and has become
! the most important branch of the fishery.
| work OF the government.
Slate of Officers Approved.
The principal business transacted at
the morning session was the ratification
of the nominations of officers who were
selected at a preliminary meeting last
| night.
The officers follow: President, Prof
Hermon c. Bumpus. director of the Nat
| ural Museum of History, New York city:
! secretary general, DR.. Hugh M. Smith,
| deputy United States commissioner of
fisheries; vice presidents, Austria, DIR.
Heinrich Won Kadich. councillor of ad-
ministratlon, department of forestry and
| domain of Vienna; Brazil, Lieut. Com
mander Raider de Aquino, naval at
| tache, Brazilian embassy, Washington
| Canada, Prof Edward E. Prince, domin-
| ion commissioner of fisheries, Ottawa
China, DR.. WEIGHING w. Yen, second
secretary Chinese legation: Washington
| Guatemala. DR.. Ramon Bengochea, con-
sui general of Guatemala, New York
| city; Italy, DIR. Decio Vinciguerra of
| Rome; Japan, Dr. Tasaku kitahara i'm
perial fisheries. bureau OF the depart
| ment of agriculture and commerce, and
! imperial fisheries institute, Toxic; Mex
leo. Charge d'Affaires Godoy, Mexican
embassy, Washington: Netherlands,
Prof p. p. c. Hoek, scientific adviser of
| Dutch government; Peru, Dr. Robert e
Coker. government fishery expert, Lima;
| Rouman1a, DIR. Gregoire Antipa, inspect
| or general of fisheries. Bucharest: SWe-
den DR.. Oscar Fritioff Nordqust COM
missioner of fisheries; England, DR. o.
| 7. Olsen, Royal Geographical Society,
IGrimsby. England; German Fisheries So
| ciety. DIR. Walter Naumann, Lipsa, Ger
many, and DIR. f. Rathbun, assistant
secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
| representing the United States.
| The congress reassembled at > o'clock
| this afternoon.
Five Days in Session.
Many foreign countries and practically
every state and territory in the Union are
| represented by delegates in attendance
| upon the congress. Its sessions will con-
| tinue for five days
| More than 800 delegates, representing
| foreign governments. societies and organ
| izations, and American states and terri
/ tories, societies and organizations and
| others were present.
| AS a prelude to the opening of the con-
| gress the foreign delegates assembled in
| the diplomatic room of the State Depart
| ment and were received by Secretary of