Abstract
THE forty-third congress of the French Association for the Advancement of the Sciences, which has just been held at Le Havre, was noteworthy for the invitations extended by that association (1) to those members of the British Association who did not attend the Australian meeting, (2) to the delegates of the Corresponding Societies of the British Association. Both invitations were accepted by a number of English visitors, who were accorded a very hospitable reception. At the opening meeting of the congress, held in the Havre-Theatre, “God save the King” was played by the orchestra, the whole assembly rising in honour of the English national anthem. M. Armand Gautier presided, and (after speeches of welcome had been delivered by M. Morgand, the maire of Havre, and M. Jules Siegfried) called upon Sir William Ramsay, as the principal delegate of the British Association, to address the meeting. This he did in a discourse which was felt to be charming and sympathetic. He referred to the community of races between the French and the English, to the ninety-nine years of peace that have subsisted between the two nations, and to the illustrious men of science that each has produced, associating the immortal names of Pasteur and of Lister, both of whom had saved more lives than the most sanguinary of wars had destroyed. M. Gautier then delivered his presidential address, in which he referred to recent studies in hydrology and oceanography, with especial reference to their bearing upon the welfare of the town in which the meeting was held, and spoke eloquently of the sea as contributing to the grandeur of the countries which it washes and to the heroism of their inhabitants. The annual report of the association was then read by Dr. Loir on behalf of the secretary, and gave evidence of good scientific work in various directions and of a sound financial condition. In the evening a reception was given by the municipality in the Hôtel de Ville.
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The Havre Meeting of the French Association . Nature 93, 595–597 (1914). https://doi.org/10.1038/093595b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/093595b0