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CLOSING REMARKS

By THE PRESIDENT

THE PRESIDENT, in closing the session, said that they had no reason todoubt that the Anniversary celebrations had succeeded even beyond thegreat expectations some had harboured. The scientific contributions hadbeen of the highest standard, and where there had been opportunity fordiscussion this had been of the free, friendly and open kind that auguredwell for mycology, and for that essential international understanding amongmycologists. The animated conversations both general and amongst ourguests, the happy groups of those interested in special problems, the smallconvivial gatherings, all showed how, if left to themselves, mycologistscould gladly tackle their own problems in friendly co-operation.

He had been deeply moved during the brilliant exposition they had justheard delivered with typical French elan, by the thought that eighteenmonths ago Prof. Heim was still resisting final efforts to exterminate him atMauthausen. It seemed symbolic of their high hopes that so soon after thecessation of world-wide hostilities men of many nations should listen to sucha discourse with enthusiasm and without political rancour. The wholeatmosphere was different from that of 1944 when, in a period of blitz andblack-out, the audience had not dallied after a course of lectures he hadhimself given in that splendid lecture theatre. No such scurry was to beanticipated to-day, for all were only too well aware that the formal pro­ceedings were over and that there was little time left for all that remainedto be said. He thanked all those who had contributed to the programme orhelped with the arrangements, and particularly our foreign guests who bytheir presence had assured the success of the Jubilee Meeting, and hadmade easier the approach to international co-operation in the furtheranceof the study of mycology in all its branches. On behalf of the members ofthe British Mycological Society he wished them bon voyage.

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