REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, 1920-21. X1x 
APPENDIX TO REPORT OF COUNCIL. 
MEMORANDUM ON PROPOSED NATIONAL EXPEDITION 
FOR THE EXPLORATION OF THE SEA. 
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Origin of Proposal. 
: A T the Annual Meeting of the British Association for the Advance- 
EEE 
ment of Science in August 1920 the President, Dr. W. A. 
Herdman, F.R.S., Professor of Oceanography in the University of 
Liverpool, delivered an address dealing with some of the problems of 
oceanography, and suggested that the time had come for a new British 
expedition to explore the great oceans of the globe. This suggestion was 
afterwards put forward more definitely and with further detail in the 
discussion ‘ On the Need for the Scientific Investigation of the Ocean’ 
at a joint meeting of the Sections of Zoology and Geography. ‘The pro- 
posal then made was, in brief, that there was now urgent need for 
another great exploring expedition like that of the Challenger 
(1872-76), national in character, world-wide in scope, to investigate 
further the science of the sea, in all departments, by modern methods 
under the best expert advice and control. 
Action by Committees and Council of the Association. 
This proposal was received with such favour that at the next meeting 
of the Committee of Section D (Zoology) a resolution was unanimously 
passed :— 
That Section D is profoundly impressed with the importance 
of urging the initiation of a further National Expedition for the 
Exploration of the Ocean, and requests the Council of the British 
Association to appoint a Committee to take the necessary sbeps to 
impress this need upon His Majesty's Government and the 
nation. 
This resolution was supported by the Committees of all the other Sections of 
the Association interested in such an exploration. The Committee of Recom- 
mendations and the General Committee on the following day passed a resolution 
‘pointing out the importance of urging the initiation of a national expedition 
for the exploration of the ocean, and requesting that the Council of the British 
Association should take the necessary steps to impress this need upon His 
Majesty’s Government and the nation.’ The Council of the Association there- 
upon appointed a Committee, representative of all the departments of science 
concerned, to prepare and take steps for the presentation of the present state- 
ment; while, following upon a reference from the Association, the Council of the 
Royal Society also appointed a Committee to confer with that appointed by the 
Council of the Association. 
Many men of science, both British and foreign, wrote expressing the hope 
that the cogent scientific reasons for the expedition may be pressed without delay 
upon the Government so as to induce the nation to undertake this great enterprise. 
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