REPOET OF MR. ADAMS.
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failure in our mission had become very evident to me. The failure was due to either of two causes—to the defective organization of the commission at home, or to the absence of the material necessary for it to work with at Vienna. The commission had not been selected with a view to its being complete in itself, and it failed to secure outside of itself the assistance necessary to carry out any broad plan of general review. Whatever the cause, however, and whether personally responsible for it or not, I early concluded that there was but one course to be pursued. The fact of failure must be met squarely, and in this way only could it be converted into a success. Instead of attempting to silently ignore the unsatisfactory results of our mission, or to conceal them under a cloud of perfunctory platitudes, it seemed to me our duty to state them with all possible precision of language, to the end that the Commonwealth might derive from our experience the most definite conclusions for its future guidance. For to me it is very clear that the Vienna Exposition is not destined to be the last of its kind. Whether financially it proved a success or failure is matter of small moment, so far as the continuance of the great succession of international fairs is concerned. They constitute a part of the machinery of modern development. As mere bazaars of the nations, if as nothing else, they are destined to an indefinite repetition; for as sensational sales-rooms they are profitable. Others will then hereafter take place in which it will be well for Massachusetts to take her part. Many and obvious reasons will render such a course advisable. The people of Massachusetts form a community, the whole future prosperity of which depends upon its maintaining a superiority over others in matters of education, of ingenuity and of skill. The figures °f the census are significant of coming danger in these
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respects. Our people will have to follow the path which others have trodden before, and consent to accept lessons from all who can teach them. We, no less than the people of England, of France and of Austria can learn much in these great industrial arenas, where our products will be brought in contact and comparison with those of other communities before our own eyes and those of the world. The ^tate itself, also, as an educator, may derive most useful les-