Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 66.djvu/15

Rh speakers were liberally paid and each had been asked to prepare an address on a prescribed topic having a definite place in the total scheme.

The officers and speakers numbered over 500, while the total registration was about 2,000. Many probably attended meetings and enjoyed the privileges of the congress without registering as regular participants. Almost all the leading colleges, universities and higher institutions of learning at home and abroad were represented, although about 125 officers and speakers were scholars not engaged in university teaching. These include museum curators, experts in government scientific bureaus, representatives of research institutions, observatories, the army and navy, legislative bodies and diplomatic embassies, besides eminent municipal officers, school administrators, editors, librarians, engineers, architects, artists, physicians, social workers, clergymen, lawyers and jurists.

About 90 of the speakers were foreign scholars, of whom perhaps 60 addressed the congress in their own languages—German, French, Italian or even Dutch.

Counting the Mexican and the half dozen Canadians for America, there remain about 25 from Great Britain, over 30 from Germany, almost 20 from France, a half dozen from Austria, about as many from Italy, at least 4 from Japan, one from Russia, and about 10 representing other countries—Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Hungary. The Americans came from all parts of the country, a meritorious group of scholars worthy to receive their eminent guests from abroad. no less than seven women, distinguished for scholarship, were among the Americans who addressed the congress.

It was indeed a notable audience of men and women which assembled in the great Festival Hall of the exposition for the formal opening on Monday afternoon. Here under one roof were seated hundreds of scholars brought together by the common interests of learning and research, come together to exchange ideas and to meet and hear their peers and leaders. On the platform sat the administrative officers of the congress, the president and vice-presidents, and a distinguished group of representative leaders in the science of foreign countries, who had been invited to act as honorary vice-presidents of the congress. The meeting was called to order by Director Rogers, who called upon President Francis of the exposition to preside over the preliminary part of the session. In an appropriate address of welcome the congress was declared by President Francis to be the crowning feature of the exposition. An address was then made by Director Skiff, in charge of the exhibits of the exposition, on behalf of the administrative board, in which the exposition was characterized as a world's university, the exhibits being its museum and laboratories, and the participants of the congress its faculty. In the regretted absence of President Butler, made necessary by serious illness in his family. President Harper made a suitable address, setting forth the history of the plan and the