Abstract
AT the invitation of the Royal Society, a conference between representatives of the Allied nations will be held in London on October 9 to discuss the future conduct of scientific organisations. It is expected that representatives from the academies of Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Washington, as well as nominees of the Governments of Belgium, Portugal, and Serbia, will attend. A memorandum proposed by a committee ot the Royal Society points out that international scientific organisations and conventions may be divided into four groups, according to their objects and methods of procedure. A first group consists of those important agreements which fix the standards of measurements, and are essential not only in purely scientific investigations, but also in the development of many industries. A second group contains associations definitely formed for the investigation of scientific problems in which co-ordination of observation is essential. A third group, which hitherto has not been large in numbers, but presents some special features, embodies the efforts to organise undertakings that might be carried out in one locality but is more economically dealt with by a division of work The most prominent example of this type is the arrangement made between eighteen observatories, to form a photographic chart of the heavens. The organisation dealing with the “International Catalogue of Scientific Literature” may also be included in this group. In the fourth group is placed the large number of congresses called together by workers in some one department of science, and mainly intended to foster friendly personal relationships between those who pursue similar aims in different countries. There is, finally, in a group by itself, the International Association of Academies, which aims at co-ordinating the activities of international undertakings, and organises work for which special permanent bodies do not exist and are not required. The council of the Royal Society will submit the following questions as subjects for discussion at the forthcoming conference:—(1) Is it desirable for the Allied nations to establish organisations for scientific co-operation among themselves? (2) If this be agreed upon, what should be the particular forms of organisation to be aimed at in geodesy, seismology, meteorology, etc.? (3) Should particular academies be asked to submit proposals on those undertakings in which they have taken the leading part, such as: (a) The Académie des Sciences on the Commission Metrique and the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures; (b) The Royal Society on the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature? (4) What representations should be addressed to the Governments with regard to those organisations which have hitherto received their support? The conference at present is intended to deal only with scientific subjects, but similar questions no doubt also arise on the literary side.
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Scientific Organisations of the Allied Nations . Nature 101, 477–478 (1918). https://doi.org/10.1038/101477a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/101477a0