ligerents of 7,450,300 men—just about seven and a half million men killed, because we could not have arbitration and discussion; because the world had never had the courage to propose the conciliatory methods which some of us are now doubting whether we ought to accept. The totals for the wounded are not obtainable, except our own. Our own wounded were 230,000, excluding those who were killed. The total of all battle deaths in all the war in the world, from the year 1793 to the year 1914, was something under 6,000,000 men. So that about a million and a half more men were killed in this war than in all the wars of something more than 100 preceding years. We can hardly realize that. Those of us who lost sons or brothers can realize it-we know what it meant. The women who have little children crowding about their knees know what it means. They know that the world has hitherto been devoted to brutal methods of settlement. For Mercy Peace and Good-Will And every time a war occurs it is the flower of the manhood of the belligerents that is destroyed; it is not so much the present generation as the next generation that goes maimed off the stage, or is laid away in obscure graves upon some battle-field. And the great nations are impaired in their vitality for two generations to come and all their lives are embittered by a method of settlement for which we could find and have now found a substitute. My fellow citizens, I believe in Divine Providence. If I did not, I would go crazy. If I thought the direction of the disordered affairs of this world depended upon our finite endeavor, I should not know how to reason my way to sanity. But I do not believe there is any body of men, however they concert their power or their influence, that can defeat this great enterprise, which is the enterprise of divine mercy and peace and good-will. (Standing Applause.) The Club meeting for September, 1919, was assigned to the Committee on Scientific Research for the purpose of placing before the members reports on certain discoveries and applications of science by the Government during the war with Germany, with a brief review of recent scientific progress. The meeting supplemented the reports on "Scientific Research" (see Transactions, Vol. XII, No. 2, April, 1917) and "Science in Mobilization" (Transactions, Vol. XII, No. 9, November, 1917). The following programme was arranged for the meeting: Dr. W. F. Durand of Stanford University, on "Contribution of Constructive Research to Engineering and Its Application During the War." Dr. W. W. Campbell, Lick Observatory, on "Advance of International Scientific Organization During the War and Following." Dr. J. C. Merriam, University of California, on "Contribution of Research to Efficiency and Productivity of the Nation During the War." Dr. Merriam as chairman of the Committee on Scientific Research was made chairman of the meeting. No discussion being desired by the members the material brought out was ordered printed. Meeting of September 25, 1919 At the conclusion of the recess that followed the dinner and business meeting of September 25, 1919, the Club was called to order by President Albert E. Boynton, as follows: Remarks by President Boynton THE PRESIDENT: In March and October, 1917, the Section on Scientific Research, with Doctor Merriam as its chairman, presented two exceedingly interesting reports to the Club. We are to be favored this evening with a further report, which should prove no less interesting. Such wonderful strides have been made along scientific lines during the last few years that the ordinary man is prepared to believe that almost everything is possible, or, conversely, that nothing is impossible. Following the precedent established by President Hodghead two years ago, I am taking the liberty of turning the meeting over to Doctor Merriam. Remarks by Chairman Merriam THE CHAIRMAN: This is unexpected, but it is always a pleasure to speak to the Commonwealth Club, particularly when I can do so through two such good men as Dr. Durand and Dr. Campbell. It is with much pleasure that I recall the meetings to which the President has referred, at which we had those splendid papers by Dr. Campbell and his associates, and I also remember very well the meeting which followed in the fall. I believe that the first meeting was about two weeks before war was declared. The second meeting occurred after the country had begun to take its stride, the many kinds of organizations which had sprung up had gotten into operation, and I think I remember that at that meeting we presented the first report from a state committee on scientific research, which we hoped would do some things of interest. Since this last meeting it has been of much interest to me to note that practically all the men appointed on the committees in California for state work, in one way or another volunteered into national work. The committees were pulled apart and the men were scattered over the country. So far as the scientific aspect of our interest is concerned, I am glad to say that what they had to do seemed to be something the people wanted to have done. I think many men not of the |