Proceedings of the Second Pan American Scientific Congress, Washington, U.S ...

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 31, 1917. SIR: Pursuant to the recommendation of the executive committee of the Second Pan American Scientific Congress, which was held in Washington December 27, 1915– January 8, 1916, and by the cooperation of the United States Congress (urgent deficiency bill, Sept. 8, 1916), the papers and discussions of that great international scientific gathering have been compiled and edited for publication under the able direction of the Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Glen Levin Swiggett. In this volume is contained the report of Section VI, of which Dr. James Brown Scott, of the executive committee, was chairman.

In my formal report, which has already been submitted, I enlarged upon the importance of the Second Pan American Scientific Congress, its large attendance, and the high quality of its papers and discussions. I will, therefore, in this letter, which, in slightly varied form, introduces each volume, make only a few general references. All of the 21 Republics of the Western Hemisphere were represented by official delegates at the Congress. Unofficial delegates, moreover, from the leading scientific associations and educational institutions of these Republics presented papers and took part in its deliberations. The papers and discussions may be considered, therefore, as an expression of comprehensive Pan American scientific effort and possess, in consequence, inestimable value.

The Congress was divided into nine main sections, which, with their chairmen were as follows:

I. ANTHROPOLOGY. W. H. Holmes.

II. ASTRONOMY, Meteorology, aND SEISMOLOGY. Robert S. Woodward.

III. CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Agriculture, Irrigation, and Forestry. George M. Rommel.

IV. EDUCATION. P. P. Claxton.

V. ENGINEERING. W. H. Bixby.

VI. INTERNATIONAL LAW, PUBLIC LAW, AND JURISPRUDENCE. James Brown Scott. VII. MINING, Metallurgy, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, and ApplieD CHEMISTRY. Hen

nen Jennings.

VIII. PUBLIC Health and Medical SciencE. William C. Gorgas.

IX. TRANSPORTation, Commerce, Finance, anD TAXATION. L. S. Rowe.
These sections, in turn, were further subdivided into 45 subsections.

Over 200 delegates were in attendance from the Latin American Republics, while over a thousand from the United States participated in its meetings. The discussions and proceedings of the Congress attracted world-wide attention, and it was undoubtedly the greatest international scientific meeting that has assembled anywhere in the history of the Western Hemisphere and possibly of the world. It was, therefore, a fitting successor to the first Pan American Scientific Congress, which assembled in Santiago, the capital of Chile, in 1908, and to its predecessors, confined to Latin American representation, which in former years met, respectively, in Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires. Its success was a logical result of these preceding gatherings in Latin America and of the hearty cooperation of the Latin American Governments and scientists.

To those who may have their attention brought only to the individual volumes covering the papers and discussions and who wish to know more of the proceedings of the Congress and the results accomplished by it, it is recommended that they should

VII

also read "The Final Act-An Interpretative Commentary Thereon," prepared under the direction of Dr. James Brown Scott, reporter general of the Congress, and the report of the secretary general, prepared by the latter and the assistant secretary general, Dr. Glen Levin Swiggett. In these will be found not only the final act and the illuminating comment thereon but lists of delegates, participating Governments, societies, educational institutions, and other organizations, together with a careful story and history of the Congress. They can be obtained by addressing the Director General of the Pan American Union, Washington, D. C.

In conclusion, I want to briefly repeat, as secretary general of the Congress, my appreciation, already expressed in my formal report, of the hearty cooperation in making the Congress a success given by everyone concerned from the President of the United States, yourself as Secretary of State, and the delegates of Latin America and the United States, down to the office employees. The great interest manifested by the permanent executive committee, headed by Mr. William Phillips, then Third Assistant Secretary of State, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace through its secretary, Dr. James Brown Scott, and the executive aid of Dr. Glen Levin Swiggett, as assistant secretary general, were vitally instrumental in making the gathering memorable. The Pan American Union, the official international organization of all the American Republics, and whose governing board is made up of the Latin American diplomats in Washington and the Secretary of State of the United States, lent the favorable influence of that powerful organization to the success of the Congress and authorized me as the director general of the Union to also take up the duties of secretary general of the Congress.

WASHINGTON, D. C., 31 de maio de 1917. EXMO. SNR.: Em cumprimento de uma recommendação emanada da Commissão Executiva do Segundo Congresso Scientifico Pan Americano, que teve lugar em Washington, de 27 de dezembro de 1915 a 8 de janeiro de 1916, e, devido ao auxilio do Congresso dos Estados Unidos (Lei para Orçamentos extraordinarios de 8 de setembro, 1916) as memorias e as discussões dessa assemblêa scientifica internacional, foram colligidas e preparadas para publicação sob a proficiente direcção do Secretario Geral Adjuncto, Dr. Glen Levin Swiggett. Este volume comprehende o relatorio da secção VI que foi presidida pelo Snr. James Brown Scott, da Commissão Executiva.

No meu relatorio official, que já tive a honra de apresentar, me detive sobre a importancia do Segundo Congresso Scientifico Pan Americano, da sua grande concorrencia e da alta importancia das theses e das discussões. Na presente nota, portanto, de uma maneira muito ligeira, destinada a apresentar cada um dos volumes, eu farei apenas algumas referencias muito geraes.

Todas as Republicas do Hemispherio Occidental, vinte e uma em numero, se achavam representadas por delegados officiaes ao Congresso. Delegados sem nomeação dos Governos, mas representando as mais notaveis sociedades scientificas e instituições de ensino dessas republicas apresentaram theses e tomaram parte nas deliberações. As memorias e discussões devem ser consideradas portanto, como a expressão de um justificavel trabalho scientifico Pan Americano e possue, por esse motivo, um valor sem egual.

O Congresso foi dividido em nove secções principaes, que a seguir enuméro, com os nomes dos seus presidentes:

I. ANTHROPOLOGIA. W. H. Holmes.

II. ASTRONOMIA, METEREOLOGIA E SISMOLOGIA. Robert S. Woodward.

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