Notes and Comments

NOTES AND COMMENTS ONTARIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY At theannual meeting, heldatNiagara FallsJune14to 16,papers •vere read •vhichincluded "AlongtheFourMile Creek"by ]. T. Ru]ey,"EarlySurveys in theNiagara Peninsula" by W. C. Johnson, and"Co]one] JohnBuffer" by Mrs. S.C. To]an.An address by Hon. BryanL. Cathcart,OntarioMinister for Traveland Publicity,described the enlarged activityof the province's Archaeological andHistoricSitesBoard,•vhichhasundertaken an expanding programme of markingsitesof significance for Ontariohistory•vith large aluminum plaques, distinctively designed in royalblueandgold.The Society also heard in thereport ofitsPresident, Mr. L. R. (•ray,of thegro•vth of the membership totherecord ]eve] of650,ofthedevelopment ofthene•vMuseums Section, andoftheinception of a private project to microfilm municipal, ]and, and court records in Ontario. ANGLO-AMERICAN 'CONFERENCE OF HISTORIANS The annualAnglo-American Conference of Historians •vasheld at the Institute ofHistorical Research, University ofLondon, July12,18,and14.The papers readincluded an opening address by Professor HerbertButterfield on "(•eorge III andthe19thcentury historians." Preliminary arrangements {orthe Plenary Conference tobeheld inLondon next July •vere announced. Thedates will beJuly8-13, 1957,anduniversities in theUnitedStates andCanada wi]] be invitedto nominate representatives. Otherscholars •vhoexpect to be in England atthetimeareasked to•vrite forparticulars totheSecretary, Institute ofHistorical Research, University ofLondon, Senate House, London, W.C.1. THE IDA AND HENRY SCHUMAN PRIZE IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE An annualawardof $250.00hasbeenestablished by Henryand Ida Schuman of NewYorkCityforanoriginal essay on"TheHistory of Science anditsCultural Influences." Thephrase "cultural influences" istaken toinclude studies ofthesocial andhistorical conditions thathaveinfluenced thegrowth ofscience, ortheeffects ofscientific developments upon society in therealms of philosophy, religion, social thought, artandliterature, economic progress, etc.Thiscompetition isopen toundergraduate andgraduate students in any American or Canadian college, university, or institute of technology. Papers must besubmitted onorbefore June1, 1957, andshould beapproximately 5,000 words inlength, exclusive offootnotes. It ishoped thattheprize-•vinning essay •viHbesuitable forpublication in ISIS,thejournal of theHistory of Science Society. Further information maybeobtained {Tom theChairman of thePrize Committee, Professor Harry Woo]f, Department ofHistory, University ofWashington, Seattle 5,Washington. INTERCHANGE VISITS BETWEEN COMMONWEALTI-I UNIVERSITIES Thispamphlet, issued bytheBritish Council, reports ontheworko{the Committee forCommonwealth University Interchange, 1949-56, andamong other things makes clear thenumber ofvaluable grants andawards made to Canadians {orvisits both toBritish andCommonwealth university centres, as 391 892 THE CANADIAN' HISTORICAL REVIEW wellasgrants madefor visitsandstudyin Canada. In all, 85 universities or colleges haveparticipated and889visits havebeenarranged sofar. CORRESPONDENCE The Editorshavereceived the followingletterfromProfessor H. S. Ferns, regarding Professor A. L. Burt's reviewin theJune,1956,issue of thisjournal, of TheAgeofMackenzie King,by FernsandB. Ostry: "Thereaders oftheC.•N•_DI.•N HISTOBICAL REVIEW arefullycapable ofassessingiustlytheintellectual calibre ofProfessor A. L. Burt's reviewof TheAgeof Mackenzie Kingandof estimating fromit hiscapacity to reada bookand truthfully to reportwhathehasread.Thereis,however, onestatement in his reviewwhichI cannot ignore, viz.: "Ferns andOstry... makethisreviewer suspect a hiddenmotivebehindtheir denigration." This innuendo wasfirst concocted and published by a propagandist of the Liberalparty in the Winnipeg FreePress. Professor Burrhasnowventured faithfully to echo it in thepages of a respectable academic journal. "I wish toprotest most emphatically against Professor Burt's tasteless reflectionuponmyhonour . WhenthelateProfessor Norman McLeod Rogers published hisMackenzie Kingin 1985noonecame forward in thepages ofthe CAI•IADIAN HISTOmCAL REVIEW toask whathismotives might beortosuggest thathehadwritten thisbook inorder tohelp hisparty winanelection andto gethimself a jobin theGovernment. Had anyCanadian historian ventured to make such asuggestion hewould have been'censured forreflecting upon the integrity ofa professional colleague, andrightlyso.Butstandards of conduct change, and not always for the better. InProfessor Burt's case exp,e, rience and success seem tohave taught himneither magnanimity normanners.' OUR CONTmBUTOBS JOHN T.,SAYWELL isLecturer inHistory attheUniversity ofToronto. A.M. WmLMS isArchivist in thePublicArchives of Canada, Ottawa. RICHAP• A.PRESTON isProfessor ofHistory attheRoyal Military College, Kingston, andisauthor of Gorges of Plymouth Fort (1958),withG. F. G. Stanley, ofAShort History ofKingston asaNaval and Military Centre (1950), and, withS.F.Wise and H. O.Werner, ofMen inArms: AHistor•t ofWar[are and ofItsInterrelationship withWestern Society (1956), tobereviewed later in thisjournal. I. B.CON.•CHE•a isAssistant Professor ofHistory attheUniversity ofToronto, atpresent onleave ofabsence, withaNuttleld award, intheUnited Kingdom. Heiseditor ofFP•N•ois Du CREux' TheHistory ofCanada orNewFrance (1951),fortheChamplain Society. ...