A N A L Y T I C A L CH EM1S T R Y NOVEMBER 1956
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Lisbon Congress An Outstanding Success How can anyone who attended the recent International Congress on Analytical Chemistry forget the cordial, indeed, warm hand of hospitality of the people of Lisbon-not just those in charge of the congress but every citizen of that beautiful city. The streetcar conductor, the taxi driver, the merchant, the person on the street, all were imbued with a desire to extend the hand of welcome to those who had come t o their city as international guests. While the attractive posters describing the meeting, which were widely displayed on the principal streets, were responsible in part for interest of Lisbon citizens in the meeting, we do not believe this was the principal factor. Lisbon citizens are a gracious and loving type of people, who instinctively extend the hand of friendship while still retaining a proper reserve. The exhibition of proper balance was very instructive to observe. Elsewhere we have reported on the meeting. Certainly it was a highlight in the history of the progress of analytical chemistry. More than 1400 registered from some 50 countries. As we witnessed this throng the thought ran through our mind,-would such a gathering have been possible even a decade ago? We doubt it. One of the delightful sidelights of the meeting mere some of the English expressions coined for English-speaking participants. We were intrigued immensely, for example, with the term “congressists.” Perhaps me have missed this term in the past, but certainly it is definitive and descriptive. Of specific interest to our readers are publication plans for the papers. The main and the section conferences will be published by Editorial Birkhauser in BAle. We understand these lectures will be available very shortly and hope we can provide more definite information regarding their availability in an early issue. T e were advised during our stay in Lisbon that authors of communications (perhaps we would refer to them as papers) are at liberty to offer them t o any journal of their choice. There is still the possibility they will be included in a single volume, but our Portuguese conferees recognized the desires of many authors for prompt publication. We cannot close without seconding the views of those in official circles, that future analytical conferences be held as part of the general conferences and congresses of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Perhaps we are somewhat biased in our strong endorsement of this principle. The science of analytical chemistry now cuts across the broad fields of biology, chemistry, physics-indeed, can one name any scientific discipline not now dependent upon progress in what we loosely define as analytical chemistry? This in itself is to us a most convincing reason why future international analytical congresses should be associated in time and place with IUP-IC conferences and congresses. LISBOA!
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