1 i b W. CROSS GEOLOGY IX THE WORLD AVAR AND AFTER 



Central Powers there is an area of great strategic importance, where the 

 question of an adequate water supply for an army of occupation is of 

 special moment. Before the war the Geological Institute of this country 

 was requested to study the water-supply problem of this area with refer- 

 ence to military needs. It did so and submitted a report containing 

 much valuable information. But when the army occupied the area in 

 question, to defend it against invasion, the military commander, who 

 could not appreciate the geological problem involved, did not make use 

 of the report and, in consequence, his army suffered greatly from a lack 

 of a proper and attainable water supply. 



The Work of the Division of Geology and Geography in the 

 National Eesearch Council 



history of its organization 



The National Eesearch Council was organized by the National Acad- 

 emy of Sciences in the spring of 1916, at the request of President Wilson, 

 to mobilize the scientific resources of the country in the interest of na- 

 tional security and welfare. Its duties pertained first to matters of de- 

 fense, and later to assistance in the war. The early work of the Council 

 was carried on through committees and subcommittees, among which 

 were the Committee on Geology and Paleontology, of which J. M. Clarke 

 was chairman, and that on Geograph}^, under W. M. Davis. The work of 

 these committees is well known to many of you. 



The reorganization of the Eesearch Council in January, 1918, intended 

 to meet more efficiently the emergency conditions of the war period, pro- 

 vided for a few groups, called divisions, working from a central office in 

 Washington. John C. Merriam was made chairman of the Division of 

 Geology and Geography, the other members, at first, being: Whitman 

 Cross (vice-chairman), F. W. De Wolf, Douglas W. Johnson, and Philip 

 S. Smith. Owing to other important duties in the Council placed on 

 Doctor Merriam, notably those of acting chairman of the Council for 

 several months, I have been called on to act as chairman of the division 

 for much of the time. It is at Doctor Merriam's suggestion that I assume 

 to give at this time an account of the work of the division. It is prac- 

 tically a report to the senior national organization affiliated with the 

 Council in the geological part of its work. 



The controlling idea in selecting men for all divisions of the Council 

 during the past year has been to bring in advisers who were closely con- 

 nected with war activities. Doctor Johnson was commissioned in the 

 Intelligence Service of the army early in the year and detailed for special 



