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The astrometric optical interferometer on Mt. Wilson is providing a new source of astrophysical and astrometric data on bright stars. The instrument, with 12-meter baselines, has been in operation since late 1986. The interferometer is capable of wide-angle astrometry, that is, the determination of very precise stellar positions within a reference frame defined by bright stars spread across a large area (of order one steradian) of the sky. This paper addresses the question of whether such an instrument can be used to establish a fundamental system — that is, one tied to the Earth in some well-defined way. Some astrometric data from this instrument are presented to illustrate the difficulties involved. Proposed means of addressing these problems in future instruments are discussed.
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