I. Expansion of the Gaseous and Stellar Components of the Galaxy

If the gaseous component of the Galaxy is expanding as observed by Rougoor and Oort in the centre of the Galaxy and as postulated by Kerr in his early interpretation of spiral structure, the expansion must represent a phenomenon of fundamental importance in the Galaxy which has, in all probability, been operative for a significant fraction of the age of the Galaxy. Presumably, very young stars formed from this gas and having ages less than 1 % of the age of the Galaxy might be expected to retain in their motions the general character of the large-scale expansion of the gas from which they originated.