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President Reading: Thank you, Professor Hallert. Because of the various
difficulties of communication and transportation that exist in the present day
world, the delegate committee agreed to the postponement of the nomination
of the Secretary-General and the new Treasurer. I am sure we all approve and
applaud the nomination of Professor Hallert for Mr. Mogensen of Sweden as
out next President.
President Reading: I believe you all recognize that one of the principal
difficulties of an International Congress of this sort is the language difficulty
in communicating with each other. Because of the large preponderance of the
Americans at this Congress, the English speaking people, we had found it
impracticable to provide earphones for all as they do in the United Nations.
But due to the extraordinary work and great intelligence of our interpreting
staff, I think that the result has been ever so much more beneficial than an
attempt to secure interpretations after the speakers have finished their words.
Technical interpretation requires the highest ability that could possibly
be given. I know this because we have asked for volunteers who have simply
been appalled at the difficulties in translating the technical proceedings of a
Congress such as this.
We, to some extent, were able to assist in this by having the interpreting
staff read the papers and prepare preliminary translation in advance for this
work. I know personally that Mr. Gruner and Mr. Gruner’s family, Mr. Ortiz
and four or five of our friends from Central and South America volunteered
the German and Spanish. There is a tremendous amount of preliminary work
even when they did get advance copies of the papers. We are deeply indebted
to them for their splendid work and I am sure that I express the feeling of the
whole Congress in thanking them for their extraordinary efforts.
Needless to say, we are also very grateful for the interpreters from the
staff of the Department of State for handling the French, as it is the language
which is understood by a great many, in addition to the English. Their able
efforts have contributed very much indeed to the success of the Congress.
It now is my happy duty to thank you all for your participation in the
Seventh Congress of Photogrammetry, thus far. Every American with whom
I have talked has been extremely enthusiastic and grateful to our colleagues
from across the water for bringing so many samples of their eminent achieve
ments, their beautifully designed instruments, and for their courtesy and cordial
care in explaining the details of these achievements. It means, I am sure, a great
impetus to photogrammetry in the Western Hemisphere, and we are very
deeply grateful for their cooperation. We shall be happy at any time to do
anything we can to reciprocate for their wonderful contributions.
I think all of us are inspired by what has happened here. We feel that we
have a new vision of a much wider usefulness of photogrammetry. All of these
developments which you have heard about in the technical sessions and viewed
in the exposition cannot help but increase our effectiveness and our enthusiasm
and our joy in going ahead with the important task of photogrammetry.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes the sessions at the Shoreham Hotel.
Thank you very much.