352 
INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION Proc. N. A. S. 
In common with many British colleagues, the American delegation 
journeyed from London to Brussels on July 17. The Conference lasted 
from July 18 to July 28, inclusive. Thirty- three astronomical delegates 
were present: eight from Belgium, eight from Great Britain, seven from 
France, one from Italy, and nine from the United States. 
The most difficult question confronting the International Astronomical 
Union related to its composition. Should it be organized as a great as- 
tronomical society, comprehending all divisions of astronomical science in 
a somewhat general or indefinite manner, or should it consist of working 
committees, each committee concerned with some definite line of astro- 
nomical research? Should there, for example, be a great division of the 
Union relating to the solar system, or, on the contrary, several compara- 
tively small committees occupying themselves responsibly with such defi- 
nite subjects as solar rotation, eclipses, solar radiation, etc.? Should 
there be another great division of the Union relating to the sidereal sys- 
tem, or, on the contrary, several comparatively small committees occupying 
themselves responsibly with such definite subjects as stellar parallaxes, 
radial velocities of the stars, double stars, variable stars, etc.? The latter 
plan was adopted. To begin with, thirty-two such special committees were 
established. These vary in size in accordance with the requirements and 
present states of the problems concerned. The Committee on the Carte 
du Ciel and the Committee on Meridian Astronomy are relatively large, 
with more than a dozen members each, whereas other committees, such 
as those on Lunar Nomenclature, on Solar Radiation, on Astronomical 
Bphemerides, etc., are relatively small, with not more than half a dozen 
members each. The separate committees are working bodies. They are 
intended to be essentially complete in themselves. The Union as a whole 
will meet in general every three years in different educational centers of 
the world, but it is expected that the members of a given committee will 
find many occasions between general meetings when conferences by letter 
or otherwise may profitably occur. Committee reports will doubtless 
aim to represent the views of the committees as to the current status of 
their subjects, and to present practical suggestions for further under- 
takings. In other words, it is anticipated that each committee shall 
make known through its report, presented in a general session of the Union, 
those aspects of its subject with which the workers in that subject may 
most profitably acquaint and busy themselves. 
Each committee has power to add to its numbers by favorable vote of 
two-thirds of the current membership of the committee. 
It is provided in the Constitution that the committees shall automatically 
go out of existence at the close of each triennial meeting of the Union. 
This offers the opportunity for reorganization upon the basis of those 
who work. 
The Constitution of the Union, as distributed from the office of the Gen- 
