PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY AND AFFILIATED 



SOCIETIES 



WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF vSCIENCES 



I37TH MEETING 



The 137th meeting of the Academy was held at the Cosmos Club at 

 8.15 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, 1919. Major A. O. Leuschner, Acting 

 Chairman of the Division of Physical Sciences, National Research 

 Council, and professor of astronomy in the University of California^ 

 delivered an address, illustrated with lantern slides, on The determina- 

 tion of the orbits of comets and planets. 



(Proceedings of the 138th and 139th meetings have already been 

 published in the Journal.) 



140TH MEETING 



The 140th meeting was held jointly with the Geological Society of 

 Washington at the Cosmos Club at 8.15 p.m., Thursday, February 

 19, 1920. President C. L. Alsberg presided. 



Alfred H. Brooks, of the U. S. Geological Survey, formerly lieu- 

 tenant colonel and geologist on the General Staff, American Expedi- 

 tionary Forces in France, delivered an address, illustrated with maps 

 and diagrams, on The application of geology to war. 



Geology finds application to war both in the rear areas and in the 

 theatre of operations. The work in rear areas relates to water supply, 

 drainage conditions, road metal, etc., at mobilization and training camps, 

 and in connection with various other military projects. Above all it 

 involves the determination of sources of minerals which the exigencies 

 of war have made specially important. This field will be of equal and 

 may be of greater importance than that of the more purely military 

 application of geology in the theatre of operations. The latter use of 

 geology was first developed during the late war and is the subject of 

 this address. 



It will be shown that there are many military applications of geology. 

 The usefulness of the science was recognized by nearly all the great 

 powers before the close of the war by the organizing of geologic staflFs. 

 Modern scientific warfare compels an army to seek every possible ad- 

 vantage by making full use of all sources of information about the 

 physical conditions within the theatre of operations. Of two opposing 

 armies the one having the most complete knowledge of the terrain will 

 have an advantage and at times a decisive advantage. vSuch a com- 

 plete knowledge is, however, only possible by use of geology. 



Geology finds its principal direct application to war in forecasting 

 the physical conditions that will be met with in the execution of certain 

 military projects, such as fortifications, maneuvering of troops, erection 



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