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simplificatrices, insuffisamment contrólecs par rcxpćricnce, ct rcgardaient avant tout le cótć theoriąuc des ąuestions posees.

Or des developpements mathematiąues partant de bases in-certaines ne pouvaient aboutir, malgre leur rigueur intrinseque, qu’a des resultats correspondant souvent tres mai a la realite.

Cest a un savant autrichien, Ie professeur Karl von Terzaghi, que rcvient Fhonneur d’avoir sorti la mćcanique des sols de Fim-passe ou elle se trouvait au debut de ce siecle, en commenęant par donner de solides bases a cette discipline. Analysant syste-matiquement les proprietes physiques des terres, grace a de remarquables expericnces de laboratoire, souvent confrontees avec les phenomenes rencontres dans la naturę, il aperęut vite le róle enorme joue par l’eau contenue dans les pores des mas-sifs pulverulents, qui intervient avant tout par ses proprietes capillaires.

Revisant ainsi les hypotheses de base, il put fonder une discipline dont les theories permettent actuellement de serrer de tres pres les phenomenes reels, et qui rend ainsi d’inestimables services aux ingenieurs. Cest la raison pour laquelle Karl von Terzaghi est souvent appele le fondateur de la mecanique modernę des sols. Cette qualite lui donnę toute Fautoritenecessaire pour presider avec la competence que Fon sait la Societe inter-nationale de mecanique des sols et des travaux de fondations, dont il est Fun des principaux fondateurs.

L’Ecole polytechnique federale tient aujourd’hui k lui donner une marque de sa profonde estime, a Foccasion de ce Congres. Sur la proposition de la Conference des professeurs de la Sec-tion du Genie civil, la Conference des doyens vient de nommer Karl von Terzaghi Docteur es Sciences (echniques honoris causa de TEcole polytechnique federale, et je suis charge de remettre a Feminent savant, au nom de mes collegues unanimes, le di-plóme suivant, redige dans une de nos trois langues nationales:

«Die Eidgenóssische Technische Hochschule verleiht durch diese Urkunde Herm

Dr. Karl von Terzaghi

Professor an der Harvard University, Cambridge USA

in Ancrkcnnung seiner hervorragenden Verdienste ais Begriin-der und Fórderer der Erdbaumechanik und dereń Anwendung auf die Fundationstechnik

die Wiirde eines

Doktors der technischen Wissenschaften chrenhalber.

Im Namen des Professorenkollegiums der Eidgenóssischen Technischen Hochschule

Der Vorstand der Abteilung Der Rektor:    fur Bauingenieurwesen:

Henry Favre    Stahel

Ztirich, den 17. August 1953»

-    En acceptant ce grade, mon cher collćgue, vous honorez notre Ecole, et je vous en remcrcie.

-    Chers Congressistes, je tiens, en terminant, a formuler les meilleurs vceux pour la reussite de vos travaux. Puisse ce III* Congres intcrnational contribuer, comme les deux premiers, a Favancemcnt d’une science des plus utiles aux ingenieurs. Je souhaite egalement de tout coeur que votre sejour en Suisse, qui debute sur les bords de la Limmat et vous conduira jus-qu’aux rives du Lac Leman, vous laisse le meilleur souvenir.

Address delivered by Professor Dr. K. Terzaghi, President of the International Society

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to express my dccpcst appreciation for the honour conferred upon mc by the faculty of the venerable Eidgenos-sische Technische Hochschule in Ztirich. This is by no means the first generous gift I have received from Switzerland. The first one I got early in Iife. It consisted in the benefits and the inspiration which I derived from a study of the publications of Swiss engineers describing their experiences and observations during the construction of railroads, tunnels and hydroelectric power plants at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

I still recall the deep impression it madę upon me, when I read in one of the publications by F. M. Stapff, the Chief Geologist on the St. Gotthard Tunnel, the following passage: “Every civil engincer is engaged in experimental geology with-out bcing conscious of this fact and without being spoiled by the recognition of the benefits which the science of geology has derived from his activities.” At that time I was hardly twenty-five years old. Yet I had already experienced and observed enough to realize that this type of experimentation was my mission in life and it remained my mission ever sińce.

There was only one temporary deviation from the linę I pursued. It involved a brief period, in the 'twenties, during which I believed that the problems of earthwork and tunnel engineering, like those of bridge design, could be solved by theory alone, on the basis of the results of adequate laboratory tests. However, in our field theoretical reasoning alone does not suffice to soIve the problems which we are called upon to tacklc. As a matter of fact it can cven be mislcading unless every drop of it is diluted by a pint of intelligently digested experience. Theory can be taught in the class room, but ex-perience must be acquired. In this connection I cannot help recalling a wisecrack produced by an old Southern negro who had leamed the facts of life the hard way. ‘If you ain’t got no college education you surę do have to use yo’ head.”’

To master the theories requires hardly morę than a good memory, but to draw correct conclusions from random obser-vations and occurrences requires a very much rarer gift. This gift is common sense and it is one of the most difficult tasks of an academic teacher to develop in his disciples the capacity for theoretical reasoning without undermining their confidence in their own judgment.

I am very happy that the Third International Conference on Soil Mcchanics and Foundation Engineering meets in Switzerland, becausc in this country of complex tectonics and glacial action, we are surrounded by engineering problems which are beyond the power of mathematical analysis. To cope with the problems of dam foundation and railroad construction in Switzerland requires the gift of keen observation and the courage to take risks with open eyes, in addition to a thorough grounding in theory. Swiss engineers have always maintained a very high standard in the fulfilment of these exacting re-quirements.

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