▁Time ▁Bureau ▁in ▁Paris , ▁France , ▁and ▁the ▁International ▁Central ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Astronom ical ▁Tele gram s ▁initially ▁se ated ▁in ▁C open hagen , ▁Den mark . ▁The ▁ 7 ▁initial ▁member ▁states ▁were ▁Belg ium , ▁Canada , ▁France , ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁Greece , ▁Japan , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁soon ▁to ▁be ▁followed ▁by ▁Italy ▁and ▁Mexico . ▁The ▁first ▁executive ▁committee ▁consisted ▁of ▁Benjamin ▁B ail la ud ▁( Pres ident , ▁France ), ▁Alfred ▁F ow ler ▁( General ▁Secretary , ▁UK ), ▁and ▁four ▁vice ▁pres idents : ▁William ▁Campbell ▁( USA ), ▁Frank ▁D ys on ▁( UK ), ▁Georges ▁L ec o inte ▁( Bel g ium ), ▁and ▁Ann ib ale ▁Ric c ò ▁( Ital y ). ▁Th irty - two ▁Comm issions ▁( re ferred ▁to ▁initially ▁as ▁Stand ing ▁Comm itte es ) ▁were ▁appointed ▁at ▁the ▁Br uss els ▁meeting ▁and ▁focused ▁on ▁topics ▁r anging ▁from ▁relativ ity ▁to ▁minor ▁plan ets . ▁The ▁reports ▁of ▁these ▁ 3 2 ▁Comm issions ▁formed ▁the ▁main ▁subst ance ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁General ▁Assembly , ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Rome , ▁Italy , ▁ 2 – 1 0 ▁May ▁ 1 9 2 2 . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁General ▁Assembly , ▁ten ▁additional ▁nations ▁( Austral ia , ▁Brazil , ▁C ze cho - S lov ak ia , ▁Den mark , ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁Norway , ▁Poland , ▁Roman ia , ▁South ▁Africa ,