What I have seen here resembles what I have seen everywhere throughout the United States; each organism, each individual, preserves all its freedom, as far as it can; hence the limited and special character of the public authorities, to whom little is left to do.  This doubtless detracts from the massed effects that we are in the habit of producing; we are apt to think that this kind of liberty is only disorder; but individual efforts are more energetic and when they converge toward a single end, by spontaneous choice of each will, their power is incalculable.  This it is that makes the strength of America.

An interesting and satisfactory summary.  There is, however, another way of looking at it.  A well-known scientific man recently expressed to me his conviction that an “American” association of any kind is destined to failure, whether it be of scientific men, commercial travellers or plumbers.  By “American” here he meant continental in extent.  There may thus be, according to this view, a successful Maine hotel-keeper’s association, a New York bar association, or a Pennsylvania academy of fine arts, but no such body truly representative of the whole United States.  Many such organizations are “American” or “National” in name only; for instance, the “American” Academy of Sciences, which is a Boston institution, or the “National” Academy of Fine Arts, which belongs to New York City.  Many bodies have attempted to obviate this trouble by the creation of local sections in different parts of the country, and the newly-formed Society of Illuminating Engineers has, I understand, in mind the organization of perfectly co-ordinate bodies in various parts of the country, without any attempt to create a central body having headquarters at a definite place.  This is somewhat as if the American Library Association should consist of the federated state associations, perhaps with a council consisting of a single representative from each.  It would seem to be a workable and rather attractive plan.  We may remind ourselves again that the United States itself is the classic example of an American association, and that it has been fairly successful by adopting this very system.  Our recognition of the necessity of local divisions in our own association and of close affiliation with the various state bodies is shown by the recent resolution of the council providing for sectional meetings and by the presence at this and several other state meetings in the present month of an official representative of the American Library Association.  That these, or similar means of making our national body continental in something more than name are necessary we may freely admit.  Possibly it may take some years of experimentation, ending perhaps in appropriate constitutional revision, to hit upon the best arrangement.  Too much centralization is bad; but there must be some centralization.  We must have our capital and our legislative and administrative