Xgriin, for tIic fifth time, tlic British h o c i n t i o n meets in Tork, n city of proved Iiospitnlity niid the stngc of great events. York is a nionumcnt of liistorg ; its very stoncs nre cloqiicnt of thc pist. Not the least of thc cpisodcs it Iins witnesscd wns tIic birth of this Lipsociation. Your city, niy Lord JInyor, IWS our crndlc : we hold York in filial honour niid affection. Wc arc noninds who hnvc strayed to tlic cnds of the enrtIi : we Iinvc bccn as far-flung ns the J3ritisli flng. Wc Iinvc enjoyed tlic wclconic of ninny strnngc Iicnrtlis. But here tlicrc is notliiiig nufiiniilinr. We t:ikc delight in coming Iioinc to n birthplncc of Iinppy nicinory md in rcciilling Iiopcs which tlic pnst liuntlrcil yenrs hnrc gencrously fulfilled.
Lnst year tlic infant of 1S31 celcbratctl its ccntcniiry in tlic -igour of manhood, with n plcntitnilc of pomp and circunistnncc which clcinnndctl no lcss nniplc n sctting thnn tlic mctropolis of tlic Empirc. For President we lint1 n innn of world-widc fniiic, irho fittingly en~l~odiccl tlic impcrinl iispect thnt is part of tlic gl01y of tlic British Association. Wc hnd long known I~ciicrnl Sniuts ns soldier and statcsinrin : to somc i t iniiy Iia-c conic ns ii surprisc whcu t h y found liiiii iilso ii philosoplier, n stutlcnt of idens no lcss than a ninkcr of history and a leader of 111~11. It woiiltl be an inipertinencc for any succcssor in this clinir to praise (lenenil Smuts ; to follow liini is pcrforcc to follow far bcliii1tl. But onc may congriitulirtc the exccutivc on thc linppy instinct wliicli rccogiiizcd tlint tlic occesion IYIIS uniquc, nnd so led theni to an unusual-not to say II (Inringchoice. It was amply jnstificd by the cvcnt. Now tlicy 1im.c rcturiicd to thc beaten track nlong wliicli l'residents for thc inost part plod, and linvc niiidc ii selcction for wliicli 1 nni gliid to hiivc no responsibility.
Of Gcncral Smuts I would suy onc word niorc. His occupnncy of tlic chair not only nddcd to tlic liistrc of our rcjoicings : I like to think i t hut1 a cLcclicr tjigiiificnucc. Xny wc not rcgard i t ns n harbingw of the spirit of goodwill and snnity \rlicli civilizntion longs for, but does not yct scc ? Our Iiunclrcd ycnrs of sciencc havc clone sadly littlc towar& curing the nations of inutunl mistrust. Surely it was a good unicii thnt, in marking the close of OM century of nchicvenieiit nncl tlic opening of nnothcr, wc should linvc hod for President n citizcu of the world whose life lias bccn a lmon in subordinating tho lowcr pntriotism to tlic liiglicr good, who by cxninplc no lcss tlinn by preccpt lins taught his fellows tliut they should bcot their swords into plougllshnres and not Icnrn wnr niiy more.
Xow we rcvisit our birthplacc wcll aware of our ninturity. Wc hnvc scored our first century und bcgun to compilc our second with the easy msiirii~ico of n Bradman or n Holbs. At once tlic question arise>, 16 that nssurance justified by the &sociation's continued vitality ? Do wc still give the coniniiinity rcnson to support us ? Or nrc \YO a survivttl, tradiug on D reputation which our presciit nctivitics do little to * Prcsidentinl uddress (nbridyctl) to tliu I)ritieii tissocintion for tlic Advnnccmcnt of Scicncc., nt York, on Srptembcr 1, 1)42.