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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1296 



practically all civilized countries were ad- 

 herents of the various existing international 

 bodies. Hence the aggregate money contri- ■ 

 bution per county joining the new inter- 

 national bodies will probably not be any 

 more, more likely less, than under the old 

 system. 



The organization of the new international 

 bodies may appear to be not as simple, or 

 perhaps not even as independent, as the 

 former ones. Thus, for example, instead of 

 having such a brief and convenient name as 

 " International Geodetic Association " we 

 would have now " Section of Geodesy of 

 the International Geodetic and Geophysical 

 Union." (The International Research Coun- 

 cil does not insist upon having its name also 

 added.) Many of the geophysical delegates 

 from the various represented countries, it 

 appeared, would have preferred the name. 

 " International Geophysical Union," in ac- 

 cordance with the original proposal. How- 

 ever the executive committee of the Inter- 

 national Research Council, at its preliminary 

 meeting in Paris last May, adopted the ex- 

 panded name on the motion of the repre- 

 sentative of Italy. 



Most likely there will naturally come into 

 use simplified designations, as, for example : 

 International Geodetic Section (or com- 

 mittee), International Seismological Section 

 (or committee), etc. This would conform to 

 the corresponding names for the " national 

 sections," as they have been tentatively called 

 in the United States, or " national com- 

 mittees," as they are called in England and 

 France. 



The basic idea of retention of the name of 

 section (or of committee) is, of course, that 

 the particular branch of geophysics repre- 

 sented by the section is to be considered as 

 but a part of the broad, general subject of 

 geophysics. The fruitful, fundamental idea 

 is that there will be at least once in three 

 years a general symposium on the main 

 branches of geophysics, rather than inde- 

 pendent, uncoordinated meetings on special 

 branches. In that respect there is certainly 

 a great gain in the new organization of geo- 

 physical bodies over the old ones. And as 



far as independence is concerned, it is to be 

 said that the manner of organization admits 

 of much elasticity and large freedom of 

 action of any section apart from the Union 

 to which it may belong, or of the Union apart 

 from the council. 



The present convention is to continue for 

 twelve years, beginning January 1, 1920, sub- 

 ject to renewal and , modification at the end 

 of this period. The general meetings are to 

 take place every three years when there will 

 be opportunity for changes in organization 

 or statutes, as future experience may suggest. 

 It will not be necessary for a imion to meet at 

 the same place as the council, or for all the 

 various unions to meet together. A section 

 may furthermore call a special meeting when 

 found necessary. 



The ohjects of the International Geodetic 

 and Geophysical Union are stated in the 

 official version as follows: 



1. To promote the study of problems concerned 

 with the figure and physics of the earth. 



2. To initiate and coordinate researches which 

 depend upon international cooperation and to pro- 

 vide for their scientific discussion and publication. 



3. To facilitate special researches, such as the 

 comparison of instruments used in different coun- 

 tries. 



In conclusion, it may not be amiss to say 

 that the six sections of the International 

 Geodetic and Geophysical Union as finally 

 established were in general accord with those 

 the American Geophysical Delegates were in- 

 structed to recommend. The French had 

 originally proposed but two sections. Geodesy 

 and Meteorology, to which was added a third. 

 Seismology, in the Royal Society proposals. 

 However, as the resiJt of preliminary, in- 

 formal meetings at Brussels of the various 

 national delegations, discussion soon devel- 

 oped practical unanimity in the proposals to 

 have each main branch of geophysics repre- 

 sented by an independent section. The reso- 

 lutions passed by section (c) (Meteorology) 

 and (d) (Terrestrial Magnetism and Elec- 

 tricity) are good illustrations of the pro- 

 visions taken also as to cross-relationships 



