SeveralmeetingsorganizedinmyhonorbytheAmericanwomen'sorganizationshaveparticularlyinterestedtheAmericanpublic.IhavealreadymentionedthemeetingoftheUniversityWomenatCarnegieHallofNewYork;asimilarmeetingwasheldatChicago,whereIwasalsoreceivedbytheAssociationofPolishWomen.Iwasalsogreetedbywomen'sorganizationsintheCarnegieInstituteofPittsburgh,andbyadelegationofCanadianuniversitywomenatBuffalo.Inallthesemeetingsitwasimpossiblenottorecognizethesincerityoftheemotioninthewomenwhogavemetheirbestwishes,atthesametimeexpressingtheirconfidenceinthefutureoffeminineintelligenceandactivity.Ididnotfeelanyoppositionbetweenthesefeministicaspirationsandthemasculineopinion.AsfarasIcouldnotice,themeninAmericaapproveoftheseaspirationsandencouragethem.ThisisaveryfavorableconditionforthesocialactivityoftheAmericanwomenwhichrevealsitselfinastronginterestinworkforeducation,forhygiene,andfortheimprovementofconditionsoflabor.Butanyotherunselfishpurposemayrelyontheirsupport,asisprovedbythesuccessofMrs.Meloney'splan,andbythesympathythisplanencounteredinwomenofallsocialconditions.
Icouldnot,tomydeepregret,givetimeenoughtothevisittolaboratoriesandscientificinstitutes.Thesetoobriefvisitswereofgreatinteresttome.Ifoundeverywherethegreatestcarefordevelopingscientificactivityandforimprovingthefacilities.Newlaboratoriesareinbuilding,andinolderlaboratoriesverymodernequipmentmaybefound.TheavailableroomnevergivesthatimpressionofinsufficiencyfromwhichwesuffertooofteninFrance.Themeansareprovidedbyprivateinitiativeexpressedingiftsandfoundationsofvariouskinds.ThereexistsalsoaNationalCouncilofResearchestablishedbyprivatefundsforstimulatingandimprovingscientificwork,andforassuringitsconnectionwithindustry.
IhavevisitedwithspecialinteresttheBureauofStandards,averyimportantnationalinstitutionatWashingtonforscientificmeasurementsandforstudyconnectedwiththem.ThetubesofradiumpresentedtomewereattheBureau,whoseofficialshadkindlyofferedtomakethemeasurements,andtotakecareofthepackinganddeliverytotheship.
newlaboratoryhasbeencreatedatWashingtonforresearchesonverylowtemperatureswiththeuseofliquidhydrogenandliquidhelium.Ihadthehonorofdedicatingthislaboratorytoitsservice.
IhadthegreatpleasureofmeetingintheirlaboratoriesseveralveryimportantAmericanscientificmen.ThehoursIspentintheircompanyareamongthebestofmytravel.
TheUnitedStatespossessesseveralhospitalsforradiumtherapy.Thesehospitalsaregenerallyprovidedwithlaboratoriesfortheextractionofradiumemanationwhichissealedupinsmalltubesformedicaluse.Theseinstitutionsownimportantquantitiesofradium,haveaverygoodequipment,andtreatagreatnumberofpatients.Ihavevisitedsomeofthem,andthismademefeelmoredeeply,ifpossible,theregretofnothavinginFranceevenonenationalinstitutecapableofrenderingthesameservices.Ihopethatthislackwillbefilledinthenearfuture.
TheindustryofradiumhasbeenstartedinFrance,butitisinAmericathatithashaditsgreatestdevelopment,owingtothepresenceofasufficientsupplyoftheorecarnotite.Iwasverymuchinterestedinmyvisittothemostimportantofthefactories,andIgladlyrecognizethespiritofinitiativeinthisundertaking.ThefactoryownsacollectionofdocumentaryfilmswhichenableonetoappreciatetheeffortmadeeachdayincollectingtheorescatteredintheimmensefieldsofColorado,incarryingandconcentratingthisoreoriginallyverypoorinradium.Ontheotherhand,themeansofextractionofradiumarestillthesamewhichhavebeendescribedinearlierchapters.
Thegreatestcourtesywaspaidmeinmyvisittotheradiumplantandlaboratory.Ifoundthesamereceptionatafactoryofmesothoriumwhichpresentedmewithsomematerial,andwheretheofficialsexpressedthedesiretohelpinmyscientificwork.
Tomakecompletethesetravelimpressionsitwouldbenecessarytospeakofthenatureofthecountry.Irecoilbeforethetask,beingincapableofexpressinginafewwordstheimmensityandthevarietyofthespaceswhichopenedbeforemyeyes.Thegeneralimpressionisoneofunlimitedpossibilitiesforthefuture.IkeepaparticularlyvividremembranceofthegreatfallsofNiagara,andofthemagnificentcolorsoftheGrandCanyon.
OnJunethIembarkedinNewYorkonthesameshipwhichhadbroughtmetotheUnitedStateslessthantwomonthsbefore.Iwouldnottaketheliberty,aftersoshortaperiodoftime,ofgivinganopiniononAmericaandtheAmericans.IwouldonlysayhowdeeplyIhavebeentouchedbythewarmreceptionwhichwastenderedeverywheretomeandmydaughters.Ourhostswantedtomakeusfeelthatwewerenotwithstrangers;and,ontheotherhand,manyofthemassuredmethattheyfeltinentirelyfriendlysurroundingswhenonthesoilofFrance.IgotbacktoFrancewithafeelingofgratitudeforthepreciousgiftoftheAmericanwomen,andwithafeelingofaffectionfortheirgreatcountrytiedwithoursbyamutualsympathywhichgivesconfidenceinapeacefulfutureforhumanity.
皮埃爾·居裡傳