October 6, 



5] 



NA TURE 



The Liverpool Meeting of the British Association. 



THE meetmg of the British Association which 

 conchided on September 19 was in many ways 



jnotable, and marked the successful introduction of 

 .various changes in the local and scientific proceedings. 



|ln point of numbers it was the third largest meeting 

 (Australia in 191 4 excepted) in the long history of 

 bhe Association, iDut the actual number of tickets 

 taken is not the only criterion for success. Figures 

 ire, however, of some value ; for one of the objects 



lof the Association, namely, to spread knowledge of 

 science and what it stands for, can be most success- 

 fully accomplished by an appeal to the public receiving 

 ready response. 



While the membership numbered 3296, not less than 

 15,000 people attended the free public lectures in 

 Liverpool and the surrounding boroughs, while more 

 than 7000 paid admission to the Scientific Exhibition 

 held under the auspices of the Association in the Central 

 Technical School on September 10-22, and this number 

 does not include members of the Association itself, 

 who were admitted free. 



Further, the sectional meetings were almost all not 

 merely well attended but often overcrowded, a con- 

 dition which spoke well for the enthusiasm for scientific 

 knowledge among the members, but also illustrated 

 the attractiveness of the programmes. 



The inaugural meeting, when the president delivered 

 his address, was remarkable for the fact that the whole 

 proceedings were broadcasted, and in two halls in 

 Liverpool the wireless version was accompanied by 

 lantern illustrations identical with and shown simul- 

 taneously with the originals shown during the address 

 itself in the Philharmonic Hall. The address was well 

 heard in most parts of the British Isles, and was even 

 picked up so far away as Switzerland. This is, 

 indeed, an example of the development of physical 

 science since the last Liverpool meeting held in 1896. 

 The place of the customary second evening lecture 

 was taken by a most successful scientific soiree given 

 by the Local Committee at the University. A 

 wonderful series of experimental and other exhibits 

 had been arranged and a most comprehensive pro- 

 gramme had been prepared, but unfortunately, owing 

 to the awkward lay-out of the University Buildings, it 

 must have been nearly impossible for very many of 

 the large and enthusiastic gathering to see properl}^ 

 one-half of all the interesting things on view or to 

 hear many of the excellent series of lecturettes. Such 

 a soiree, however, is full of value and was greatly 

 appreciated, and the excellence of all the arrange- 

 ments at it reflected the greatest credit on all those 

 concerned in its organisation. 



A delightful reception was given by the Lord Mayor 

 and Lady Mayoress in the splendid suite of buildings 

 comprised by the Walker Art Gallery, Picton Reading 

 Room, Hornby Library, and the Museum, which for 

 the purpose were all thrown en suite. Seldom if 



ever have these rooms been seen to better advantage, 

 and the arrangements for dealing with such a large 

 gathering left nothing to be desired. 



Important points in the work of the various 

 Sections will be dealt with in special articles, but, as 

 already mentioned, sectional activity was more 

 pronounced than at any recent meetings. 



In the physical and chemical sciences this was no 

 doubt partially due to the presence of a remarkably 

 large number of the most brilliant workers in these 

 fields. With Sir Ernest Rutherford as president of 

 the Association, Prof. McLennan as president of 

 Section A, and Prof. Donnan of Section B, and the 

 presence of Sir William Bragg, Sir Oliver Lodge, 

 Profs. Bohr, Langcvin, G. N. Lewis, Coster, Hevesy, 

 and a host of other well-known names, these Sections 

 could scarcely fail to be of unusual importance and 

 interest. Indeed, Sections A and B represented an 

 extraordinarily representative gathering of the great 

 men of all countries. Other sections were equally 

 happy in the importance of the subjects they pre- 

 sented, and possibly to the lay mind proved an even 

 greater attraction than the recent developments of 

 atomic theory and the electrical constitution of matter. 



It was most satisfactory to find the true scientific 

 interest of the meeting as undiminished as in pre- 

 War years, and this Liverpool meeting a worthy 

 successor to the very successful one of a quarter of a 

 century ago. 



The fifty-five general and sectio'nal excursions 

 arranged this year were all well patronised, the 

 number of applications for many exceeding the possible 

 number for the excursion. As practically all the 

 excursions at this meeting had a more or less definite 

 scientific interest as distinct from mere picnics, it is 

 clear that members are as keen to follow science afield 

 as in the lecture room. 



At the close of the meeting a party went for four 

 days on a visit to the Isle of Man. Granted good 

 weather they should have seen all that is most 

 interesting in the Island to archaeologists, geologists, 

 botanists, and marine biologists. 



In conclusion a word must be said about the 

 Reception Room. Few cities possess a hall at once so 

 commodious, convenient, or beautiful as St. George's 

 Hall. The fine tessellated floor (unknown to most 

 even of Liverpool citizens, since it has not been on 

 view for nearly twenty years) was greatly admired, 

 and with the comfortable furnishing and floral 

 decorations made a charming central meeting-place 

 for members. The Reception Room was rarely 

 empty, and helped in no small measure the success 

 of the meeting by forming a convenient and comfort- 

 able rendezvous. 



The Liverpool Meeting of 1923 will certainly be 

 handed down as one of the really successful meetings 

 of recent years. " Alfred Holt. 



The International Meteorological Conference at Utrecht. 



SINCE the first steps were taken in 1853 towards 

 international co-operation in meteorology, the 

 International Meteorological Organisation has had 

 a varied career, its meetings sometimes taking the 

 form of congresses of plenipotentiaries appointed 

 by Governments and convened through diplomatic 

 channels, and sometimes of conferences of directors of 

 meteorological services and observatories meeting 

 without otticial aid. 



Until 1919 the Organisation had no written con- 

 stitution, but at the first Conference held after the 

 War, at Paris in 1919, " R6glement de I'organisation 



metcorologiciue Internationale " was formally adopted. 

 According to these rules the International Meteoro- 

 logical Organisation comprises : (i) Conferences of 

 Directors ; (2) the International Meteorological 

 Committee ; (3) Commissions. The Conferences are 

 to meet every six years and to consist of " all heads 

 of R^seaux of stations in each country and the Directors 

 of Meteorological Observatories which are official 

 and independent of one another," to whom are added 

 a number of directors of private institutes and re- 

 presentatives of Meteorological Societies. 



The International Meteorological Committee is 



NO.. 28 I 4, VOL. I 12] 



