OcroseEr 25, 1918] 
births excluded) reported during the week end- 
ing October 12, 1918, with death rates, in 
large cities of the United States, together with 
the number of deaths from influenza and pneu- 
monia occurring in the course of five weeks. 
THE BALTIMORE MEETING OF THE AMERICAN 
ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT 
OF SCIENCE 
THE meeting of the American Association 
for the Advancement of Science and of the 
national scientific societies affiliated with it, 
which it has been planned to hold this year 
in Boston has been transferred to Baltimore 
in order to reduce as much as possible the need 
for traveling and to be near Washington, 
which has become the center of scientific 
activity of the country. It is planned that the 
programs of the association and of the affil- 
iated societies shall be mainly directed to ques- 
tions of national welfare, national efficiency 
and national defense; they will demonstrate 
the value of science and of the work of scien- 
tific men to the country in the present emer- 
gency. It may be expected that through con- 
ferences which at the time can not be made 
public, direct contributions will be made that 
will be of service in the conduct of the war. 
Dr. L. O. Howard, the permanent secretary 
of the association, under the date of October 
16, addressed the following letter to the secre- 
taries of the affiliated societies. 
Something of a complication has arisen in 
connection with the meetings of the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science 
and the affiliated societies: 
The Johns Hopkins University has taken on 
the Students Army Training Corps and, there- 
fore, its courses are largely revised and its fac- 
ulty is very busy. Their Christmas vacation 
runs only from the 22d to the 29th of Decem- 
ber, both dates inclusive. 
T had expected to be able to utilize the facil- 
‘ities of Goucher College, but this institution 
has now been closed by the epidemic of in- 
fluenza and will probably have to be in session 
during Christmas week. 
The present situation leaves for our meeting 
dates the 23d and 24th (then comes Christ- 
SCIENCE 
413 
mas Day) and the 26th to the 28th, these be- 
ing the only dates in which certain of the lec- 
ture rooms of Johns Hopkins can be used by 
us. 
The committee on policy of the associa- 
tion has decided to adhere to its decision to 
meet in Baltimore, but there must be some 
change in plans, both on account of the small 
size and number of lecture rooms available and 
the fact that there are practically no hotel 
accommodations. Members will have to rely 
almost entirely upon lodging-houses, hence it 
becomes practically necessary that the meeting 
be a small one, but we will go ahead and do 
what we can. 
With this understanding, will you please let 
me know if you still wish to meet in Balti- 
more and whether, in your opinion, you can 
make your meeting a small one devoted largely 
to immediate problems? And then, will you 
let me know so soon as possible the number 
and size of rooms you will need and every- 
thing which should go into the program? 
Please let me know also the dates which you 
will choose for your meetings. 
It is obvious that for certain of the affiliated 
societies the 23d and 24th should be selected 
and, for others, the 26th to the 28th, since 
rooms vacated on the night of the 24th can be 
used by members of the affiliated societies 
meeting on the 26th to the 28th. 
It is planned to have the opening meeting 
of the American Association on the night of 
Thursday, December 26, although meetings of 
the sections may be held during the day of the 
26th. 
I shall be glad to hear from you speedily 
as practically the whole arrangements for the 
meeting will be in the hands of this office 
since we can not place any of the burden on 
the Johns Hopkins’ people under the present 
circumstances. 
If you have some good member of your 
society resident in Baltimore to whom you 
wish to entrust your special arrangements, 
please tell me and let me know his name; 
otherwise, please state distinctly whether you 
wish this office to make all arrangements for 
you. 
