152 FISCHER: LENGTH STANDARDS AND MEASUREMENTS 



of geodesy for the reason that it became the point of departure 

 of a large part of the triangulation made in Europe in the nine- 

 teenth century. Again it was the International Geodetic 

 Association composed of delegates from the leading countries 

 of Europe, which, meeting at Berlin in 1867, decided among other 

 things that the interests of science in general and geodesy in 

 particular demanded a uniform decimal system of weights and 

 measures throughout Europe, and recommended the metric 

 system without essential change. 



The action of the Geodetic Association was echoed by the 

 St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1869, which in a communi- 

 cation to the Paris Academy of Sciences suggested that common 

 steps be taken towards the establishment of an international 

 metric system. Soon after the matter was brought to the atten- 

 tion of Napoleon III, who approved the idea of an international 

 convention, and the French government extended invitations to 

 the various governments to send delegates to Paris to discuss 

 the construction of a new prototype meter as well as a number 

 of identical standards for distribution to interested nations. 



In response to an invitation of the French government, the 

 following countries sent representatives to a conference which 

 met in Paris on August 8, 1870: 



Austria, Ecuador, France, Great Britain, Greece, 

 Italy, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzer- 

 land, Turkey, United States, Columbia. 



At this conference, which was of short duration, on account of 

 the war then raging between France and Germany, the United 

 States was represented by Joseph Henry and J. E. Hilgard, two 

 former members of our Society. 



A second conference was held two years later, at which 30 

 countries were represented, the United States again being 

 among this number. At this conference it was decided that 

 new kilograms as well as new meters should be constructed to 

 conform with the original standards, and a permanent com- 

 mittee was appointed to carry out tliis decision. The prepara- 

 tion of the new standards had advanced so far by 1875 that the 

 permanent committee appointed by the conference of 1872 



