AuGusT 6, 1897. ] 
discussion read as follows : ‘‘ That the ad- 
ministration of such a catalogue be en- 
trusted to a representative body hereinafter 
called the International Council, the mem- 
bers of which shall be chosen as hereinafter 
provided by the several countries (herein- 
after spoken of as the constituent countries) 
who shall declare their adhesion to the 
project.” 
Professor Korteweg, representing Nether- 
lands, proposed an amendment, which was, 
in substance, that the preparation of the 
subject catalogue should be entrusted to an 
international commission representing the 
different branches of science and that this 
commission should nominate the Interna- 
tional Council. He argued that different 
branches of science had different needs; 
that under this proposal it is possible that 
certain branches of science would not be 
represented at all, or at best very un- 
equally. Professor Armstrong suggested 
that it would be well to settle the question 
in brief, leaving the further details until 
afterwards. Lieutenant-General Strachey, 
representing India, pointed out certain 
other difficulties in the wording of this 
resolution. Dr. J. S. Billings, of the 
United States of America, stated that the 
point raised by Professor Korteweg was 
so important that he should prefer to see 
it written down and be able to consider it. 
Professor Korteweg then withdrew his 
amendment. The form suggested by Dr. Bil- 
lings was objected to by Professor Foster, on 
the ground that it did not provide that rep- 
resentatives of the several countries should 
be on this Council, to which Dr. Billings re- 
plied: ‘We are not trying so much to get 
representation of the countries in the first 
place. It would be a representation of the 
different branches of science. The countries 
come in as secondary to the sciences in this 
representative body.” After some further 
discussion, the resolution, as amended by 
Dr. Billings, was adopted. 
SCIENCE. 
189 
The next resolution read was: ‘‘ That the 
final editing and the publication of the cat- 
alogue be entrusted to an organization 
hereinafter called the Central International 
Bureau, under the direction of the Inter- 
national Council.” This resolution, Pro- 
fessor Armstrong explained, would only 
pledge the Conference to the organization of 
a central office and in no way preclude the 
establishment of branch offices. The dis- 
cussion of this resolution, in connection 
with the following one, brought out the 
question from Professor Schwalbe as to 
what should be done to catalogue the litera- 
ture of those countries which did not con- 
tribute or failed to adhere to the scheme ; 
to which Professor Armstrong replied that 
in this event he thought the central office 
should carry out the work. Professor 
Dyck, representing Germany, thought that 
there should be a central office, but he 
raised the question as to whether the sub- 
ordinate councils should not be consid- 
ered by sciences instead of by countries. 
Professor Fore] pronounced most emphat- 
ically for the arrangement by nationalities. 
M. Otlet, representing Belgium, was strongly 
in favor of a division into the sciences in- 
stead of by nationalities. He argued, first, 
that it would be very difficult for the smaller 
countries to organize a commission em- 
bracing all the sciences, and, secondly, that 
the various sciences were already so well 
organized, through national and interna- 
tional societies, that if the matter were 
arranged in this way these organizations 
would prove powerful auxiliaries. M. Dar- 
boux was strongly in favor of an arrange- 
ment by nations, pointing out that if the 
matter were left to some special organiza- 
tions great difficulties would arise, as the 
limits between the sciences were hardly de- 
cided; “‘ if, for example,”’ he said, “‘ you sepa- 
rate physics and chemistry you run the 
risk of entirely sacrificing the region inter- 
mediate between the two sciences, which is, 
