326 



NATURE 



[December 26, 1918 



Schuster should act as president of the conference, 

 and M. Lallemand as secretary. 



Having unanimously agreed that all present 

 arrangements must be regarded as provisional, 

 the committee, acting along the line of the resolu- 

 tions passed at the London conference, assumed 

 temporarily the title of the International Research 

 Council, and proceeded to embody its findings in 

 1 series of resolutions, the leading features of 

 which need only be referred to. 



An Executive Committee of five was elected, 

 ((insisting of MM. Picard (chairman), Yollerra, 

 Lecointe, Male, and Schuster, the scat ol the 

 bureau to be in London. The powers of this com- 

 mittee were formulated on a wide basis so as to 

 enable it to carry out effectively the objects aimed 

 at in the resolutions of both the London and the 

 Paris conferences. So soon as this committee 

 considered that tilings were sufficiently matured, 

 the International Research Council would be con- 

 vened so as lo take the necessary steps towards 

 assuming its final form as a Federation of National 

 Councils. Meanwhile, the Executive Committee 

 was to examine proposals for the formation of" 

 new international scientific associations sub- 

 mitted to it by any academy represented at 

 the conference, or any group of delegates 

 of such an academy or of a National Re- 

 search Council. For the thorough examination 

 of these proposals the Executive Committee would 

 appoint special committees, the members of which 

 need not be members of the International Research 

 Council. In all cases the endeavour would be to 

 gel the most suitable persons to serve on these 

 special committees. 



In thus laying the foundation for the establish- 

 ment of effective organisations of an international 

 character, the International Research Council 

 emphatically declared that there was no intention 

 of interfering with individual enterprise. On the 

 contrary, since all great advances in science are 

 initiated by individual efforts, the International 

 Research Council regarded it as one of its im- 

 portant functions to give every possible encourage- 

 ment to those capable of conducting scientific 

 research of a high order. It was also clearly 

 recognised that with respect to the initiation of 

 new international associations or to the revival 

 of old ones no decision could be arrived at without 

 ((insulting bodies or persons specially interested. 



Definite progress was made in the institution 

 of three associations : (i) Astronomy, (2) Geo- 

 physics, (3) Union, of Chemical Societies. These 

 might be taken as typical examples of the many 

 other associations to be formed hereafter. It will 

 suffice to direct attention to one of these, say 

 the second named above. 



It is proposed to form, among the States which 

 have been at war with C.ermany, an association, 

 to be ctdled the International Geophysical Union, 

 having for its aim the development* in their respec- 

 tive territories, of all useful work in connection 

 with the physics of the globe. Geophysics is 

 understood to include geodesy, meteorology, ter- 



NO. 2565, VOL. I02] 



restrial magnetism, and seismology. This union 

 (or each of its sections) is to be controlled by an 

 international committee, composed of delegates 

 from national councils, which will consist of 

 representatives from scientific societies specially 

 interested, and of delegates appointed In- the re- 

 spective Governments. The number of delegates 

 from each State serving on the International Com- 

 mittee will be determined by the population of the 

 State, according to this scheme: — Fewer than 

 5,000,000 inhabitants, one delegate; between 

 5,000,000 and 10,000,000, two delegates; and so 

 on up to five delegates for a population exceeding 

 20,000,000. Each State will contribute towards 

 the expenses of the International Committee 

 definite sums regulated according to the number 

 of inhabitants of the State. Each union or 

 association will have its own bureau, with presi- 

 dent, vice-president, and secretary; and meetings 

 will be held at least once every three years. The 

 union once constituted, any nation which has been 

 at war with Germany may formally enter the 

 union on agreeing to the conditions laid down. 

 Any neutral nation desirous of ultimately entering 

 the association can be admitted only by a three- 

 lour ths vote of the countries represented on the 

 International Council. The present agreement 

 may be revised on the request of half the mem- 

 bers of the International Council, any proposed 

 modification requiring a two-thirds vote in its 

 favour. 



In addition to the resolutions which were 

 debated and passed, certain proposals were laid 

 before the International Research Council bearing 

 upon such questions as international exchatiiM is 

 of publications, internationalisation of great 

 laboratories, comparison of university programmes 

 of study, the publication of authoritative abstracts 

 of scientific papers and the whole bibliography 

 pertaining thereto. Undoubtedly extremely useful 

 work could be effected along these lines, but much 

 spade work must needs be done by well-chosen 

 enthusiasts. 



At present the main consideration is the prac- 

 tical success of the movement which has been 

 inaugurated. The Executive Committee has ample 

 powers to get into touch with all kinds of scientific 

 academies and societies, inaugurate special com- 

 mittees which have power to add to their numbers, 

 and encourage the formation of national councils 

 the federation of which will form the International 

 Council. This Executive Committee, it must be 

 remembered, is a temporary body, which will 

 naturally dissolve when the International Council 

 is finally constituted. Its five members are known 

 to be keenly interested in the whole question of 

 international scientific work, and the task o) 

 establishing effective international organisations 

 could not be in better hands. Their efforts must. 

 however, be supplemented by all scientific 

 academies, societies, and unions entering heartily 

 into the movement, and aiming at the formation 

 of international associations in all branches of 

 si ience, physical and biological, in the widest 



