Evening star., 1912-06-30
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

ers at these lectures are all men of prac-
tically worldwide prominence. In many
cases they speak for the first time in this
country when addressing the members of
this society. An example of this is the
case of Capt. Roald Amundsen who. fol
lowing his feat OF making the northwest
passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific
ocean, gave his f1rst American lecture on
the subject under the auspices of the
National Geographic Society. Next Jan
uary also he will deliver his first Ameri-
can lecture on his south pole expedition
for the society.
The National Geographic Society not
only encourages geographic science
through its magazine. but through such
financial aid as its resources will permit.
In this way much valuable scientific data
has been added to the worlds collection.
The latest example OF what the society
does in this connection is the trip which
is being undertaken at the present time
zoology at Yale University. who. under
the joint auspices Of that university and
the National Geographic Society. will
visit the Peruvian Andes to work among
the Inca ruins. This phase Of the so
ciety's work was begun by sending small
expeditions to study the volcanoes OF
Mont Pelee and La Soufriere. 1t has as
sisted various arctic expeditions. notably
the last one of Commander Peary. 1t
also sent a trained geologist to Italy to
investigate the Messina earthquake.
There is one special line Of research work
In which the society Is particularly in
terested. This Is the glacial period in
, America, or about the time when man
made his first appearance on the earth.
the society having sent three expeditions
to Alaska for this purpose. The leaders of
these expeditions were Prof. Ralph S. Tarr
Of Cornell University, who died a short
the University Of Wisconsin Already s1s-
600 had been spent on these investiga-
tions. and while popular accounts of the
explorations have appeared in the maga-
zine the real scientific results will prob
ably be published in October.
Still another way In which the society
encourages geographic research is through
the presentation Of med
FOSTERING ais, which are awarded
in recognition of contri-
hesealcn. buttons to geographical
knowledge. Those who have already re-
ceived medals are Robert f. Peary. Hub
bard medal, in 1905. for arctic discoveries:
Road Amundsen. Hubbard medal. 1908,
for being the first to make the northwest
passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific
oceans: Grove Karl Gilbert. Hubbard
medal in 1903, one of the foremost geolo-
gists in the history Of science: Sir Ernest
Shackleton, Hubbard medal in 1909. and
Robert e. Peary. special gold medal in
1909. for the discovery Of the north pole.
The officers of the National Geographic
Society are Henry Gannett. president;
o. H. Tittmann. vice president; Q. T.
Austin. secretary: John Joy Edison, treas
urer: F. B. Eichelberger. assistant treas
urer: Gilbert H Grosvenor. director and
editor: John Oliver La Gorce, assistant
editor The board of managers is COM
posed of Henry F. Blount Rear Admiral
Admiral John E. PillsbLry. Rudolph
Kaufman, Franklin X. Lane. DR.. T. L.
Macdonald. S. N. D. North, Alexander
Graham Bell. Henry Gannett, j. Howard
n. Grosvenor. George Otis Smith. Q. H.
Tittmann. Brig. Gen. John NJ. Wilson. 9.
p Austin. Charles ]. Bell. John Joy Ed
son. David Fairchild, c. Hart Merriam.
George r. Putnam, George Shiras, Sd,
and Grant Squires.
of the society. the list including Don
Christobal Colon de Toledo de la Cerda
Y Gante. Duke OF Veragua and MARQUIS
of Jamaica: Emmanuel de Margerie,
John Murray. his imperial highness: the
Archduke Ludwig Salvador Of Austria
DR. D. Estanislao S. Zeballos. Rear Ad-
miral Robert r. Peary. William H:
Taft. Theodore Roosevelt. Capt. Roald
Amundsen, Admiral George Dewey.
James Bryce and Andrew Carnegie.
4
compiled in connection with the maga-
zine For example, it
Widespread has been discovered that
business men generally
AHCcIeSC. are deeply interested in
the magazine, as shown by the fact
that the membership includes 1000
bankers, $4,000 engineers. 10000 law
yers and doctors. 10000 manufacturers
and 1900 officers Of the army and
nayy. Another startling fact Is
shown. This is that only 21a per cent
OF the members dropped out last year,
while 10000 new members were add
ed. The loss about equal the mortal
ity percentage. In the matter Of
more frivolous statistics it has been
found that we're a single months IS
sue of the National Geographic Maga, !,
reach Ave times as high as the Wash
fnzton Monument Were the copies
for a single month laid end to end they
would cover nineteen miles. Five miles
tacking the magazine together: One
hundred and forty thousand copies are
printed each month Showing how the
work of the society has increased
when the magazine was taken over by
Mr.. Grosvenor the work was so light
that he did not even require the serv-
ices Of an assistant. Today there are
more than fifty people employed In the
offices OF the organization. The maga-
zine contains about 1900 pages year
In addition to the regular organ of the
society. the society publishes books
and maps the latter. together with
the magazine, being sent to each mem
ber
The National Geographic Society has
been called a maker of patriots. one COM
mentator saying: The mod
Maker of ern innovation of Matching
chickens by incubators in
fatrlOLS stead Of hens is simply no
where compared with the system Of hatch
ing patriots of the stamp OF William
Tell by geological geography. as exem-
nl,fied In the faith and works Of that
society"
During the past few years 1t has been
the custom Of the society to hold an an
nual banquet. The seventh such was
held the latter part Of last January and
was the most enthusiastic dinner in the
history Of the society. OF the several
important events which occurred on this
ccca sion one was the announcement of
the election Of Ambassador Bryce to the
honorary role of the society in recogni-
ton Of his personal contribution to and
interest In geographic science: A unique
feature was the serving of dates grown
IN California which were the first Ameri-