1906.] 



on International Science. 



35: 



It was decided at the Berlin meeting that Professor Koveshgethy, 

 of Budapest, should be Secretary, and Professor Palazzo, of Rome, 

 the Vice-President of the International Seismic Association. Prof. 

 Gerland had already previously been designated as Director of the 

 Central Bureau. The office of President of the Association was left 

 vacant until the final decision of Great Britain as to its adhesion had 

 been settled. There the matter stands for the present. 



The disastrous results of recent earthquakes and volcanic erup- 

 tions have directed increased attention to the subject. Its thorough 

 investigation is indeed likely to yield important information on the 

 interior constitution of the earth. A hearty co-operation to obtain 

 and circulate the material for a detailed discussion cannot fail to bear 

 fruit, and even though there may be legitimate grounds for dissatisfac- 

 tion at the manner in which a particular scheme has been organised, 

 I must express my own opinion that at the present moment the 

 permanent interests of this country would be best secured by our 

 joining the association, and helping to direct its work in a manner 

 which would assist rather than hamper the present organisation of 

 the British Association. 



I do not like to conclude without mentioning a newly established 

 organisation, which has its central bureau in my own laboratory at 

 the University of Manchester. This is a union for the observation 

 of solar phenomena. Called into being chiefly by the energy of Pro- 

 fessor Hale, this association is perhaps unique in two respects. It 

 aims more directly at conducting research work than is the case with 

 other unions, and in so far may run the danger of hampering private 

 efforts. This danger has, I believe, been well guarded against by the 

 constitution adopted at the first meeting of the Conference, held last 

 September at Oxford. The second peculiarity referred to is that it 

 works a central bureau, a computing bureau (under the direction of 



