— 55 — COUNCIL - MARCH 1920 - REPORT 



After discussion it was agreed to elaborate an intensive surface salinity and 

 temperature programme for the whole area of the North Atlantic Ocean and its 

 tributary waters and to invite France and United States to share in this investiga- 

 tion. It was agreed that surface samples for salinity should be collected at inter- 

 vals of not less than every eight hours during the crossing of the Atlantic, and 

 more frequently on coastal routes in the North Sea and adjacent waters. It was 

 understood that the first year's work was to be preliminary and that a complete 

 plan of investigation could be better laid down at the next meeting of the Council. 



Professor Stanley Gardiner in moving that the Council be requested to 

 invite the United States of America to join the International Council laid stress 

 upon the unity in brotherhood between all men engaged in science and in the applica- 

 tions of science, a unity second only to that of their nationahty, and upon the 

 desirability of all scientific work upon any line of research being carried out by 

 similar standard methods in all countries for purposes of comparison; he thought 

 that all would be greatly helped in understanding the principles underlying their 

 work by extension to the west and south, and that ultimately the United States 

 eastern fisheries would be directly benefitted thereby. 



After several other speakers had supported the Chairman ruled the motion 

 out of order as not being in the province of the Section. He asked Mr. Hutchinson 

 to convey to his Government the unanimous desire of all present to see the United 

 States a member of the Council and to have their scientific men helping in the 

 discussions in its Sections and Committees. 



Mr. Hutchinson stated that although he attended as a lay man with no 

 official instructions to promise participation in the work of the Section, he per- 

 sonally fully appreciated the importance of the proposed researches and therefore 

 undertook with pleasure to convey to his Government the views now expressed. 



The Section thereupon decided to include in its resolutions those which 

 referred to investigations off the coasts of U. S. A. and recommended the Bureau 

 to transmit these resolutions officially to the Government of the U. S. A., in sup- 

 port of the representations of Mr. Hutchinson. 



On the proposal of Professor Van Everdingen, supported by Professor M. 

 Knudsen, it was agreed that the results obtained in each month should be charted 

 and it was proposed to ask the Meteorological Office, London, to act as the Bureau 

 for collecting all surface observations of temperature and salinity from all particip- 

 ating countries on the plan arranged in 1912—13. The details of this scheme were 

 left for arrangement between the British Offices. 



Investigations in the area to the S. W. of the British Isles. 

 The French delegate, M. Kerzoncuf, read a Memorandum drawn up by the 

 special Committee convened to consider this matter. He explained that it would 



