September 5, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



237 



information given at length, is summed up in 

 the following paragraph. 



A large nmnber of formal and informal 

 international scientific organizations existed 

 previous to the war. As a result of it these 

 have lapsed, effectively, and in some cases the 

 terms have expired. during the course of the 

 conflict. Because of the war the International 

 Association of Academies has become defunct 

 practically. A strong effort is being made to 

 reconstitute the latter in the "International 

 Research Council," and at the same time, to 

 reconstitute, centralize, simplify in organiza- 

 tion and minimize in number the previously 

 very numerous international scientific organi- 

 zations as '• International Unions " afiiliated 

 with the International Research Council. 



Attention was given to a " Proposed Inter- 

 national Hydrographic Conference to be held 

 in London in June, 1919," and action was 

 recommended intended to secure a suitable 

 correlation of this with the interests of the 

 Mareological subsection as represented at 

 Brussels. 



A report was read by Mr. Bowie, for the 

 Committee on Variation of Latitude which 

 met jointly with the committee of the same 

 title of the American Section of the proposed 

 International Astronomical Union; and the 

 report was approved for transmittal to the 

 section. 



A report was read by Mr. Wood, for the 

 Committee on Publications, which was ap- 

 proved for transmittal to the section. 



At the third meeting of the Provisional 

 Executive Committee, on June 10, in con- 

 nection with consideration of delegates to the 

 meetings in Brussels, action was recommended 

 to the chairman of the l^ational Research 

 Council toward the appointment of men al- 

 ready delegated to attend the Hydrographic 

 Conference in London. 



A Committee on the Investigation of Earth 

 Tides, consisting of Messrs. A. A. Michelson, 

 chairman, T. C. Chamberlin and F. R. Moul- 

 ton, was appointed in response to a communi- 

 cation from Mr. Moulton recommending action 

 on this subject. 



A request from the Division of Geology and 



Geography to the Division of Physical Sci- 

 ences that a member of the latter division be 

 appointed to represent the division on a com- 

 mittee of the Division of Geology and Geog- 

 raphy to consider a specific project in seismol- 

 ogy, was referred to this committee and the 

 acting chairman of the American Section was 

 requested to recommend to the Division of 

 Physical Sciences a member of the division to 

 be appointed to serve with the committee of 

 the Division of Geology and GeogTaphy. 



After brief comments on the subject Mr. 

 Bowie was requested to prepare a statement in 

 regard to isostasy for the June meeting. 



At the fourth meeting of the Provisional 

 Executive Committee, on June 17, further 

 consideration was given to the matter of the 

 delegates to the Brussels meeting and of the 

 instructions or advice which should be given 

 them. 



After discussion it was the sense of the 

 committee that the delegates to Brussels 

 should have power to confer for the purpose 

 of arriving at definite understandings in re- 

 gard to the future status of international or- 

 ganization in science. 



But, in order to provoke discussion and the 

 free exchange of ideas in regard to this it was 

 decided to transmit to the section the follow- 

 ing recommendations : 



That the International Research Council 

 take such steps as are required to perpetuate 

 the work of international organizations in 

 science, if necessary by terminating previo.usly 

 existing arrangements, whether informal or 

 dependent upon treaties or conventions; and 



That the International Research Council 

 recommend to the appropriate international 

 unions the appointment of suitable com- 

 mittees on special subjects where continuation 

 is desirable or necessary to provide plans for 

 resmnption and continuation of organization. 



The opinion was stated that definite action 

 to terminate previous international arrange- 

 ments would probably be necessary in most 

 cases. 



The plan of the Royal Society in regard to 

 financing the administration of the Inter- 

 national Geophysical Union was discussed in 



