﻿124 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  VOL. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  5 
  

  

  importance 
  of 
  it 
  is 
  especially 
  known 
  to 
  all 
  who 
  have 
  anything 
  to 
  do 
  

   with 
  oceanography. 
  The 
  problem 
  is 
  also 
  so 
  large 
  that 
  nations 
  are 
  

   thinking 
  more 
  seriously 
  than 
  ever 
  before 
  of 
  how 
  its 
  solution 
  can 
  be 
  

   expedited 
  by 
  cooperative 
  means. 
  It 
  is 
  now 
  fully 
  realized 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   a 
  problem 
  for 
  all 
  nations; 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  considered 
  national 
  but 
  is 
  

   admittedly 
  international. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  recent 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  crystallization 
  of 
  authoritative 
  

   opinion 
  concerning 
  the 
  international 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  hydrographic 
  

   survey 
  of 
  the 
  oceans, 
  is 
  the 
  formation 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  year 
  of 
  the 
  

   International 
  Hydrographic 
  Bureau, 
  which 
  has 
  in 
  its 
  membership 
  

   representatives 
  of 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  maritime 
  countries 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  The 
  

   object 
  and 
  powers 
  of 
  this 
  Bureau 
  are 
  stated 
  essentially 
  to 
  be 
  : 
  

  

  The 
  establishment 
  of 
  a 
  close 
  and 
  permanent 
  association 
  between 
  the 
  Hy- 
  

   drographic 
  Services 
  of 
  the 
  Associated 
  States, 
  to 
  coordinate 
  their 
  eflforts 
  with 
  a 
  

   view 
  to 
  rendering 
  navigation 
  easier 
  and 
  safer 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  seas 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  

   to 
  cause 
  the 
  national 
  officers 
  to 
  adopt 
  the 
  Resolutions 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  various 
  

   International 
  Hydrographic 
  Conferences, 
  to 
  try 
  to 
  obtain 
  uniformity 
  as 
  far 
  

   as 
  is 
  possible 
  in 
  hydrographic 
  documents, 
  and 
  finally, 
  to 
  advance 
  the 
  theory 
  

   and 
  practice 
  of 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  hydrography. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  subjects 
  which 
  the 
  Bureau 
  suggests 
  for 
  study 
  is 
  "Re- 
  

   searches 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  the 
  constitution 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  

   as 
  it 
  affects 
  hydrography." 
  

  

  In 
  reference 
  to 
  many 
  other 
  subjects 
  that 
  make 
  up 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  the 
  

   sea, 
  the 
  present-day 
  attitude 
  of 
  men 
  of 
  science 
  in 
  regard 
  both 
  to 
  the 
  

   magnitude 
  of 
  the 
  problems 
  confronting 
  them 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  essential 
  need 
  

   for 
  unified 
  action 
  of 
  all 
  nations 
  in 
  attacking 
  the 
  problems 
  now 
  pressing 
  

   for 
  solution, 
  is 
  well 
  reflected 
  in 
  the 
  meeting 
  of 
  the 
  First 
  Pan-Pacific 
  

   Scientific 
  Conference 
  fittingly 
  held 
  in 
  Honolulu 
  in 
  August, 
  1920. 
  

  

  The 
  papers 
  presented 
  and 
  the 
  subjects 
  discussed 
  at 
  those 
  meet- 
  

   ings 
  are 
  quite 
  sufficient 
  to 
  convince 
  us 
  that 
  much 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  

   oceanographic 
  work 
  lies 
  ahead 
  of 
  us, 
  and 
  that 
  adequate 
  progress 
  

   requires 
  the 
  efforts 
  of 
  all 
  nations, 
  and 
  also 
  that 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   veys 
  and 
  investigations 
  should 
  be 
  henceforth 
  speeded 
  up 
  materially. 
  

  

  Oceanic 
  circulation. 
  — 
  Now 
  briefly 
  to 
  touch 
  upon 
  some 
  other 
  of 
  

   the 
  larger 
  problems 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  ; 
  the 
  courses 
  of 
  the 
  currents 
  that 
  make 
  

   up 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  oceanic 
  circulation 
  have 
  been 
  mapped 
  in 
  a 
  general 
  

   way 
  but 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  these 
  streams 
  is 
  far 
  from 
  satisfactory. 
  

   Our 
  information 
  concerning 
  the 
  strength 
  and 
  direction 
  of 
  ocean 
  cur- 
  

   rents 
  is 
  largely 
  dependent 
  upon 
  the 
  set 
  experienced 
  by 
  vessels 
  traversing 
  

   the 
  oceans. 
  And 
  this 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  the 
  truej^and 
  

   the 
  dead-reckoning 
  positions, 
  which 
  does 
  not 
  permit 
  of 
  great 
  accuracy 
  

  

  