NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 
189 
MINUTES OF JOINT MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND THE 
COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
At the National Research Council Building 
March 11, 1919, at 9.45 a.m. 
Present: Messrs. Abbot,* Bogert, Bumstead, Clevenger, Cross,* Hale,* 
Howe, Hussey, Johnston, Leuschner, Manning, Michelson,* Millikan, Noyes,* 
Pupin,* Walcott,* Washburn, Woods, Yerkes. 
Minutes of the joint meeting of February 11, as circulated by mail, were 
approved. 
Mr. Hale presented a cablegram from Dr. Schuster, Secretary of the Royal 
Society, in regard to the admission of neutral nations to the International 
Research Council. 
Moved: That the Council of the National Academy of Sciences and the Executive Board 
of the National Research Council recommend to the International Research Council that, 
on the conclusion of peace, nations with sufficient scientific development, which have been 
neutral during the war, be invited to join the International Research Council. (Adopted.) 
Moved: That the foregoing resolution be submitted to the National Academy of Sciences 
for approval. (Adopted.) 
It was the sense of the joint meeting that the International Research 
Council should be requested to take action at an early date in the matter of 
inviting such neutrals to join the Council. 
Upon motion of Mr. Hale, acting upon the suggestion of Mr. Elihu Root, 
Resolved: The Council of the National Academy of Sciences recommends to 
the Academy the addition of the following paragraph to Section 2, Article 
II, of the Constitution of the Academy: "It shall be competent for the Coun- 
cil to call in experts or men of special attainments not members of the Acad- 
emy, to aid, under special permanent organizations, in promoting the objects 
of the Academy." 
Mr. Hale, member for the United States of the Executive Committee of 
the International Research Council, reported that in accordance with a reso- 
lution passed at the November meeting of the International Research Council 
in Paris, a tentative plan for the formation of an American Section of the 
proposed International Astronomical Union had been adopted with the ap- 
proval of the President of the National Academy of Sciences and that the 
Section had organized under the tentative plan at a meeting held in Washing- 
ton. The tentative organization provides that the initial membership shall 
include representatives of organizations as follows: 
National Academy of Sciences 5 
American Astronomical Society 10 
American Physical Society 3 
* Members of the Council of the National Academy of Sciences. 
