(2) To coordinate the hydrographic work of these services with a view to rendering navigation easier and safer in all the seas of the world; (3) To cause the hydrographic offices to adopt the resolutions made by the Hydrographic Conferences; (4) To obtain uniformity in hydrographic documents; (5) To advance the theory and practice of the science of hydrography. The Bureau is under the direction of a committee of three members elected by vote of the member states at the periodic conferences. INTERNATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (Established in 1878) Offices: De Bilt, Netherlands. The International Meteorological Organization was created at Utrecht in 1878. Since then meetings have been held more or less periodically, the interval between meetings at the present time being six years. The Organization comprises: (1) The Conferences of the Directors; (2) The International Meteorological Committee; (3) The Secretariat; (4) The Commissions of the Organization. The Conferences of the Directors have for their principal function the discussion of administrative questions and the means of execution of the various resolutions passed. These conferences are composed of the directors of the independent national meteorological services of all nations. At present there are 105 such services, representing 54 countries, since many countries have two or more independent services. The International Meteorological Committee is composed of 25 directors, elected at the regular meetings of the directors. The Committee supervises the execution of the decisions of the conferences in the intervals between meetings. It also receives and approves the reports of commissions and takes all necessary measures for the development of international meteorology. The Secretariat is charged with the organization of meetings of the Conferences, the Committee, and the Commissions, and pub lishes the minutes of all such meetings. It constitutes also a center of documentation relative to the meteorological services of the entire world. The expenses of the Secretariat are covered by subventions of the different national services, ranging from 4,000 gold francs, for a large state, to 1,000 gold francs or a lesser sum, for small states. The Commissions are appointed by the Conference of the Directors, or the Committee, and deal with specific phases of meteorological work, such as forecasting, climatology, marine meteorology, aeronautical meteorology, etc. The chief object of the Organization and its component parts is to standardize meteorological services of all countries in order that reports and published data may be directly comparable. Commencing with the fiscal year 1930, the United States has contributed an annual sum toward the expenses of the Secretariat. Funds for the first payment were provided by an act of Congress approved February 16, 1929 (45 Stat. 1189). INTERNATIONAL SEED-TESTING ASSOCIATION (Established in 1924) Offices: Copenhagen, Denmark. The International Seed-Testing Association was created pursuant to action taken at the International Conference on Seed-Testing which met in Cambridge, England, in 1924. The Association is composed of officials charged with the testing of seeds in the adhering countries, and its object is to bring about the standardization of methods of seed testing and interpretation of results with a view to the issuance by the adhering countries of standard international certificates of quality covering agricultural seeds passing in international trade. The Association publishes a journal known as the Proceedings of the International Seed-Testing Association which contains reports on questions coming within the province of the Association, abstracts of such articles of interest to the Association as have been published elsewhere, book reviews, etc. Commencing with the fiscal year 1925, the United States has contributed an annual sum toward the Association's expenses. Funds for the first of these annual payments were provided by an act of Congress approved June 5, 1924 (43 Stat. 432). 125027-37-9 INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL BUREAU (Established in 1913) Offices: The Hague, Netherlands. The International Statistical Institute, established in 1885, is a private organization of statisticians having no official connection with any government. Its object is the improvement of the scope and quality, and, more especially, the international comparability of official statistics. Its members are selected from among the citizens of various countries who have distinguished themselves in the field of statistics in the service of their governments or in private life. The International Statistical Bureau was established by vote of the general meeting of the Institute in 1913 and has the following duties: (1) It collects and maintains a statistical library and prepares, (2) It works for the unification of statistical methods. (4) It assists the Executive Committee of the Institute in pre- At the present time some 32 countries, including the United States of America, are adherents to the Bureau. Membership of the United States in the International Statistical Bureau was authorized by an act of Congress approved April 28, 1924 (43 Stat. 112). INTER-AMERICAN TRADE MARK BUREAU1 Offices: Habana, Cuba. (Established in 1917) The Inter-American Trade Mark Bureau was established pursuant to the provisions of the convention of August 20, 1910 (39 Stat. 1675), amended by the convention of April 28, 1923 (44 Stat. 2494) and the convention of February 20, 1929 (46 Stat. 2907). It is the purpose of the conventions to grant to the nationals of each contracting state the same rights and remedies within the territory of the other contracting states which their laws extend to their 1 Formerly called the International Trade Mark Registration Bureau. own nationals with respect to trade marks, trade names, and the repression of unfair competition and false indications of geographical origin or source. The duties of the Inter-American Trade Mark Bureau include the following: (1) The recording of applications for the inter-American registration of trade marks; (2) The notification of acceptance or non-acceptance; (3) The arrangements for protection in the countries in which protection is desired; (4) The notification of owners of trade marks of their rights, of dues payable, and of the date of expiration of protection periods; (5) In general, the performance of the duties set forth in the protocol and annexed regulations for facilitating the interAmerican registration of trade marks. The Bureau is administered by a director and a staff of assistants. PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU1 Offices: Washington, D.C. The Pan American Sanitary Bureau was created pursuant to a resolution adopted at the Second International Conference of American States which met in Mexico City in 1901-2. Following the action taken at Mexico City, several conventions dealing with the Bureau have been concluded: the convention of October 14, 1905 (35 Stat. 2094); the convention of November 14, 1924 (44 Stat. 2031); and the additional protoctol of October 19, 1927 (45 Stat. 2613). The Bureau, which is closely affiliated with and housed by the Pan American Union, is concerned in maintaining and improving the health of the peoples of the 21 American republics; it prepares the programs and publishes the proceedings of the periodic Pan American Sanitary Conferences and carries on epidemiological and other scientific studies and investigations. It also publishes in three languages a monthly bulletin, weekly reports on disease prevalence, and a series of other publications on sanitary subjets. The Bureau is governed by a board elected by the Pan American Sanitary Conferences. The board is composed of an honorary director, a director, a vice director, a secretary, and four other persons. 1 Formerly called the International Sanitary Bureau. PAN AMERICAN UNION1 Offices: Washington, D.C. (Established in 1890) The Pan American Union is the official international organization of the 21 republics of the Western Hemisphere. It was established with the purpose of developing closer cooperation between the nations of America, of fostering inter-American commerce, of strengthening intellectual and cultural ties, and of facilitating the interchange of information on all problems affecting the welfare of the nations of this continent. It is supported through their joint contributions, each nation annually paying that proportion of the total budget of expenses which its population bears to the total population of all the American republics. Control of the Pan American Union is vested in a Governing Board composed of representatives appointed by the member states. Such representation may devolve upon the diplomatic representatives of the respective countries in Washington. The principle of equality is maintained on the Governing Board, and the representative of the smallest country has equal voice with that of the largest. Its executive officers are a director general and an assistant director, elected by the Board. They in turn are assisted by a trained staff of editors, statisticians, compilers, trade experts, translators, librarians, and clerks. It is strictly international in its scope, purpose, and control, and each nation has equal authority in its administration. The activities and facilities of the Union include the following: the publication in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with separate editions, of an illustrated monthly bulletin, which is the record of the progress of all the republics; the publication of handbooks, descriptive pamphlets, commercial statements, maps, and special reports relating to each country; correspondence covering all phases of Pan American activities; and the distribution of every variety of information helpful in the promotion of Pan American commerce, acquaintance, cooperation, and solidarity of interests. It also sets the date and prepares the programs for the International Conferences of American States, known as the Pan American Conferences, and is custodian of their archives. Its library, known as the Columbus Memorial Library, contains approximately 85,000 volumes, including the official publications, documents, and laws of all the American republics, together with a large collection of maps. The 1 See also p. 91 of this publication. |