NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 
195 
In regard to the admission of neutral nations to the Union, the Section 
voted that it be the sense of the meeting that nations which had been neutral 
in the war should be admitted into the International Astronomical Union on 
the conclusion of peace. 
Mr. Schlesinger outlined the kind of astronomical work that requires in- 
ternational cooperation: 
First: Work too extensive to be undertaken except by international coop- 
eration; the Carte du Ciel, for example; or the plan of Selected Areas. 
Second: Undertakings in which there is a geographical necessity for inter- 
national cooperation. Variation of latitude; longitudes; variable stars; con- 
tinuous observation of solar phenomena, etc. 
Third: Matters of convention. Uniformity of nomenclature, notation and 
units. Examples, unit for stellar distances (four now in use) ; classification of 
spectra; use of probable or mean error or of average deviation; notation for 
celestial mechanics; natation for the reduction of photographic plates, etc. 
Fourth: The avoidance of duplication. Calculations for the national Al- 
manacs and for special ephemerides, such as comets, asteroids, and variable 
stars; astronomical abstracts; and news of new comets, variable stars, novae, 
asteroids and the like. 
The Section discussed the various fields in astronomy in which committees 
should be formed to make report at another meeting of the Section, which 
would give instructions to the delegates to the proposed Paris conference. 
The following committees were authorized by the Section. The Executive 
Committee later made the appointments: 
Committee on the Variation of Latitude: F. B. Littell, chairman; A. O. Leuschner, Frank 
Schlesinger. It was voted to ask the American Section of the International Geophysical 
Union to appoint a similar committee to confer and make a joint recommendation on the 
organization and method of handling the work on the variation of latitude. 
Committee on Standards of Wave-Length: Henry Crew, chairman; W. S. Adams, Keivin Burns, 
W. W. Campbell, C. E. St. John. 
Committee on Solar Rotation: C. E. St. John, chairman; W. S. Adams, Frank Schlesinger. 
Committee on Eclipses: S. A. Mitchell, chairman; E. E. Barnard, H. D. Curtis. 
Committee on Stellar Classification: H. N. Russell, chairman; Miss Annie J. Cannon, R. H. 
Curtiss. 
Committee on Asteroids and Comets: A. O. Leuschner, chairman; E. W, Brown, G. H. Peters. 
Committee on Almanacs: W. S. Eichelberger, chairman; E. W. Brown, R. H. Tucker. 
Committee on Radial velocities: W. W. Campbell, chairman; W. S. Adams, J. S Plaskett. 
Committee on Double Stars: R. G. Aitken, chairman; Eric Doolittle, W. J. Hussey. 
Committee on Notation, Units, and Economy of Publication: W. J. Humphreys, chairman; 
E. B. Frost, A. O. Leuschner. 
Committee on Meridian Astronomy: Benjamin Boss, chairman; F. B. Littell, Frank Schlesinger. 
Committee on Abstracts and Bibliographies: F. E. Fowle, chairman; H. D. Curtis, G. S. 
Fulcher. 
Committee on Research Surveys: G. E. Hale, chairman; F. R. Moulton, Harlow Shapley. 
Committee on Stellar Photometry: F. H. Seares, chairman; S. I. Bailey, F. C. Jordan, J. A. 
Parkhurst, Joel Stebbins. 
Committee on Wireless Determination of Longitude: J. A. Hoogewerff, chairman; W. W. 
Campbell, J. J. Carty. This committee was requested to study the feasibility of deter- 
