The Washington times., 1924-07-14

made in the calendar, the effective
date Of their operation should be
delayed for several years after
adoption in order that the labor Of
preparing data for the Ephemeris
and Nautical Almanac, which data
Tx predicted positions Of heavenly
bodies years in advance of their ap-
plication, should not be lost, and
that the labor and expense Of re-
vision and rehabilitation shall be
avoided"
Calendar Inaccurate"
The position Of the League of
Nations is that great Inconvenience
are caused in economic life ana
transport trade because of the in
accuracy Of the Gregorian Calendar.
The Leagues Advisory and Tech
nical Committee for Communica-
tons and Transit has adopted the
following report on the subject:
Considers that the investigation
of the reforms which may be intro
duced into the Gregorian Calendar
will inevitably affect very consid-
erably the conditions of economic
life and international trade by in
PRODUCING a more uniform and more
rational measurement Of time;
lis glad to note that invitations
to a preliminary consultation were
sent to the Holy See, to His Holi-
ness the Ecumencial Patriarch and
to His Grace the Archbishop Of Can
torbury;
HAS held a meeting, at which it
was assisted by: The Rev. Father
Gianfrapcheschi, president of the
Academy Del nuovi Lincei,' desig-
mated by the Holy See; Prof. D..
Eginitis, director Of the Observa-
tory of Athens, designated by His
Holiness the Ecumencial Patriarch,
and the Rev. T. E. r. Phillips, sec
rotary of the Royal Astronomical
Society, designated by His Grace
the Archbishop of Canterbury; and
accordingly notes from the declara-
tions made that:
Few Difficulties.
From the point of view Of
dogma, strictly speaking, the idea
of the reform Of the calendar, both
with regard to the fixing of Easter
and the more general question Of
the reform of the Gregorian Calen-
dar, does not meet with difficulties
of such a nature that they can be
regarded beforehand as insuper-
able.
ut was unanimously agreed that
no reform Of the calendar and, In
particular, no decision regarding
the fixing of Easter IA question
which is essentially a religious
one) is practicable without an
agreement between the various high
religious authorities concerned;
That the changes in existing
conditions involved by any reform
are only justified and acceptable if
definitely demanded by public
opinion with a view to an improve
ment of public life and economic
relations.
Name Noted Men.
THE committee, therefore. de-
cides to continue the examination
Of the question by means of the
establishment of a special commit
tee of inquiry composed OF:
'Jonkheer Van Eysinga, member
Of the advisory and technical com
mittee for communications and
transit, chairman; the Reverend
Father Gianfranceschi, Professor
D. Eginitis, and the Reverend T.
E. r. Phillips, who have very
kindly consented to continue to
collaborate with the committee.
THE following will also be in
yited to join this committee:
m. Bigourdan, former chairman
Of the International Astronomical
Unions committee on the calendar,
and William H. Booth, president
Of the International Chamber of
Commerce (of which the United
States Chamber Of Commerce is a
unit.
THE special committee Of in
quiry will consider questions re-
lattng to the reform Of the calen-
dar, taking as a starting point the
scheme prepared by the Interna-
tional Astronomical Union at the
meeting in Rome in May, 1922. and
Of the recommendations made by
the International Chamber Of
Commerce at it's Congress in Lon
don in June, 1921"