The Problem of International Congresses of Applied Chemistry

Congress of Applied Chemistry. I am persuaded to the belief that these notes may be useful, because of the opinions to that effect expressed by most of such of my -friends with whom I have discussed the subject, and to whom I have presented my views. In reading these pages the fact must not be lost sight of that they in no wise deal with the social side or the factory-inspection, or the private entertainment side of such a Congress, or with anything that in any way deals with any "host and guest"aspect of these Congresses, all of which I regard as with perfect propriety not a matter of any concern whatever to these Congresses as an institution, but they are the pleasure and the reward of the host country alone. This article is limited strictly to the outline of, preparation for and conduct of the scientific or technical side, that is, the side of the actual hard work of the Congress about which all other functions are supposed to cluster and which is itself held out as being the real justification for the existence of these Congresses, and their real merit in aiding the progress of mankind. My own conclusions, based upon what is contained in the succeeding pages, may, in part, be summed up as follows: I. The International Congresses of Applied Chemistry of the past have been loaded down with such an overwhelming proportion of extraneous matter that their true business has been entirely submerged therein and the only remedy lies in curtailment of such mat...