166 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LV, No. 1416 



the extreme ultra-violet and there is a consid- 

 erable blank before their lines reappear in the 

 Schumann territory. It is of interest to 

 inquire if these spectra present that similarity 

 of structure which is a fundamental character- 

 istic of X-ray spectra of the heavier elements. 



The nature of modern atomic models might 

 lead one to expect certain rather abrupt 

 changes with decreasing atomic number in the 

 appearance of spectra of elements lighter than 

 Neon. These changes MiUikan has observed. 

 He attempts to bring these spectra under the 

 X-ray classification by arbitrarily designating 

 certain lines as the La radiation of the cor- 

 responding substances. The wisdom of this 

 course seems to me somewhat doubtful, for 

 though there is probably no discontinuity 

 between the mechanism which produces optical 

 spectra and that to which the X-rays owe their 

 origin, yet the structure of spectra of the 

 lighter elements seems to resemble the arrange- 

 ment of X-rays so little that the same nomen- 

 clature cannot be employed in both cases with 

 profit. Even where the radiating mechanism 

 is simple as in hydrogen, there is small advan- 

 tage in calling the Ritz series a K series or in 

 designating the Balmer series as an L series. 

 However, this objection is only a matter of 

 taste; certainly it in no way detracts from the 

 importance to be attached to Millikan's dis- 

 covery, for by purely spectroscopic methods 

 he has made a most important advance on the 

 road connecting the region of X-rays with the 

 rest of the spectrum. 



Thus we see that the extreme ultra-violet 

 has gi'own from an obscure corner of spec- 

 troscopy to a region of real importance, and 

 that its study has developed from a scientific 

 tour de force into investigations intimately 

 connected with the most fundamental matters. 



And now, before I close, let us look back 

 over these thirty years to the man who began 

 it all; Victor Schumann, slow, exact, infinitely 

 patient, without any brilliant generalizations 

 in his head but absolutely sound in his conclu- 

 sions. Perhaps even the atom builder may 

 pause a moment to contemplate him, and may 

 profit by the process. 



Theodoee Lyman 



Harvard University 



AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEEi ON AN IN- 

 TERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE 

 ACCEPTED BY THE COUNCIL AT 

 TORONTO, DECEMBER 29, 1921 



The present report makes no attempt to 

 discuss what might be the detailed require- 

 ments of an international auxiliary language, 

 nor even to consider alternative solutions 

 already suggested. The committee has inter- 

 preted its immediate function as in no sense 

 that of a judge to pass on such matters or even 

 to assemble them for critical review at present, 

 but it aims simply to present herein as concise 

 and constructive a view as possible of the 

 present state of public interest in the problem 

 and to recommend what should be the attitude 

 and activities of the association with respect to 

 serious studies in this whole field, leaving it 

 entirely to the results of such studies, if under- 

 taken, to speak for themselves. 



The subject of international language is an 

 old one and a great deal of effort has already 

 been expended upon if, but chiefiy by indi- 

 viduals or bjf organizations formed purely for 

 this purpose. It is only in the last few years 

 that there has been any general movement on 

 the part of governmental, scientific or academic 

 bodies to take the subject seriously and follow 

 it systemaficallj'. 



The present organized movement in this 

 direction may conveniently be considered as 

 dating from the adoption by the International 

 Research Council in July, 1919, at Brussels, 

 of the following resolutions : 



(a) That the International Research Council 

 appoint a committee to investigate and report to 

 it the present status and possible outlook of the 



1 Authorized by the Council at St. Louis, De- 

 cember, 1919, and appointed April, 1921: S. W. 

 Stratton (chairman), director. United States 

 Bureau of Standards; Carl L. Alsberg, director. 

 Food Eeseareh Institute, Stanford University; 

 V. A. C. Henmon, professor of education and 

 director of School of Education, University of 

 Wisconsin; John C. Merriam, president, Carnegie 

 Institution of Washington; C. E. Seashore, pro- 

 fessor of psychology and dean of the Graduate 

 College, University of Iowa. 



