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Bjerrum and I on the upper deck were unable to reach the food below and we got only a smali bottle of champagne which was passed along to us.

Or at Mexico City on that fantastic night of rain for the finał banquet to which Ralph Peck has already referred. Laurits had written in his speech that the ISSMFE was growing so fast that the host country never knew how many would turn up to the next session - but when that happened at the banquet itself decency compelled him to cut that bit out of the speech!

One of my memories of the Moscow conference was of Dr. D'Appolonia elated with enthusiasm for the Conference - only to be downcast a few minutes later on receiving the informa-tion that his wife and family were in Kiev and their luggage was in Leningrad when they were all supposed to be in Moscow.

Now, like the memories of my old students, I believe these past "failures" or errors add greatly to our affection for a conference. Perhaps they are all part of a sophisticated plot by the host country to create this warmth. We love the French the morę on account of that boat trip and the Mexicans for their banquet.

Tonight (who knows) the Japanese may well have planned a simulated earthquake to spili our coffee into our laps and this will go down in the annals of the Society!

During these last four years I have tremen-dously enjoyed getting to know Masami Fukuoka, Akio Nakase, Toshinobu Akagi, Kenji Ishihara and many others besides. This friendship is a fundamental tenet of our Society and when we say "International" we mean among all Nations.

At Mexico in 1969 twelve people were honoured who had attended all seven Conferences sińce the first in Harvard in 1936. At Moscow there were two Gregory Tschebotarioff and Christian Veder - and tonight there is but one, Dr. Christian Veder. (Could he rise and exhibit himself?) We are proud of his resiliance and we judge that he is good for another ten!

Our Society flourishes because we have an allegiance to it. Our President is taking decisions throughout the whole of his four years of Office on your behalf and I want to testify to the way he does his work. This tradition was passed on from Terzaghi to Skempton to Casagrande to Bjerrum to Peck and although we are now very democratic and elect our Presidents I know that the same devotion exists in Kerisel and Fukuoka.

Our Secretariat has its Office in London and Mrs. Webb is the hard working Secretary.

Please visit us in London and you will be very welcome. Each week the work of the ISSMFE goes on. In two years we shall be meeting in our separate Regions - Asian, African, North and South American, Australasian and European - and two years after that we shall come together in Stockholm.

Those who have acted as hosts to the ISSMFE do a great service to us. We thank them all -most especially the Japanese at this moment. The best way we can say thank you to the Swedes and back up our Society is by turning up at Stockholm in 1981. To the Japanese I say thank you on behalf of all from abroad.

We shall meet, I hope, in Sweden.

Professor S. Hansbo

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I assure you that it is a far greater pleasure to take the stand after some encouraging cocktails or other drinks - after relaxing chatter with the guests who surround you or, as one might express it, who are sitting on your left and right hands - after having enjoyed the skill of the Japanese cuisine, than to take the stand for two minutes of meaningful discus-sion in Main Session No. 2. It is much easier now to say what you feel deep in your heart. However, my problem is that what I am now expressing had to be left with the Organizing Committee in written form this morning and mornings are not the best time for expressing your contained deep feelings.

We have experienced and enjoyed a conference of utmost importance for geotechnicians throughout the world. It has been extremely well organized - which we of course expected from our Japanese hosts - but it has also enriched us with new concepts of Japanese politeness and hospitality. I shall never forget my arrival in Tokyo, not announced in advance. The Secretary General of the Organising Committee, our new president Professor Fukuoka, was waiting in the arrival hall at the airport wishing me welcome and providing me with all assistance and help needed. This I would cali hospitality in its true sense.

A second memory, unforgettable, was the number of Sakes I witnessed being consumed during the reception. I now know for surę that the Sakes are morę dangerous than I first thought and that they are quite capable of getting us into a sort of floating-around condition where heavy tamping might follow or be required to speed up the dissipation of excess porę pres-sures, thereby putting us again in good shape and order. Otherwise one would have to say: Sayonara!

Next time we meet - I do hope all of us - will be in Stockholm in 1981, in early June when the whole of Scandinavia is in fuli blossom, when the nights are light and your body fuli of aching desires. Ships will take you over the waters of the Baltic Sea, over lakes and rivers; the midnight sun will throw its light upon you up in the North, fish is waiting for you to be caught and we, the hosts, to welcome you with open arms.

Thank you dear Japanese friends for everything you have done and be welcome all of you to

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