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Various - International Conference Held at Washington for the Purpose of Fixing a Prime Meridian and a Universal Day. October, 1884.

V >> Various >> International Conference Held at Washington for the Purpose of Fixing a Prime Meridian and a Universal Day. October, 1884.




I must even add that our acquiescence in the principle of an
international meridian could not be maintained if the Congress
proceeded to a choice at variance with the exclusively scientific
principles which we are instructed to maintain. Thus, in the very
interest of the great principle which we all desire to see adopted, it
would, to my way of thinking, be wiser to confine ourselves to a
general declaration which, by uniting the opinions of all, would
sustain the principle with all the authority possible. The principle
having once been adopted, our Governments would subsequently convoke a
conference of a more technical character than this, at which questions
of application would be more thoroughly examined.

Mr. VALERA, Delegate of Spain, stated that it seemed to him the order
of proceeding for this Conference was very well laid down in the
invitations addressed by the President of the United States to the
different countries and in the articles which were formulated at Rome;
that if these were taken up one after the other and discussed there
would be a clearly-defined line of action for the Delegates; that if
an article was not satisfactory it could be altered or amended, or
could be rejected; but if the propositions were taken up one at a time
and the discussions directed to these propositions, the Conference
would be more likely to reach a definite result than in any general
discussion.

The PRESIDENT stated that, so far as he understood the proposition,
there was no desire to press it to an immediate vote; that it was
quite proper for the Delegate from France to offer any other
proposition, as suggested by the Delegate of Spain, in lieu of the
motion now pending; that so far as the Chair was concerned it seemed
to him that the Conference could at once proceed to the discussion of
the general subject of a prime meridian under the pending resolution;
that if the Delegate from France desires to make any other
proposition, or offer anything else in a distinct form, he will be
listened to with great attention and with profound respect.

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States, remarked that the
Delegate from France, his learned friend, Mr. JANSSEN, had expressed
the opinion that the Delegates had not the power to decide upon any
particular meridian, but that they were sent here merely to discuss
this principle, namely, whether a general meridian was desirable. He
added that he was, of course, not in possession of the instructions
which the Delegates from France received from their own Government,
but that he found among the instructions received by the Delegates of
the United States from their Government a copy of one of the
communications made by the President of the United States to France,
as well as to the other nations, through the Secretary of State, in
which was this language:

"I am accordingly directed by the President to request you
to bring the matter to the attention of the Government of
----, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with a view
to learning, whether its appreciation of the benefits to
accrue to the intimate intercourse of civilized peoples from
the consideration and adoption of the suggested common
standard of time, so far coincides with that of this
Government as to lead it to accept an invitation to
participate in an International Conference at a date to be
designated in the near future."

The Delegate of the United States continued by saying that the whole
object of this Conference was not to establish the principle that it
is desirable to have a prime meridian, but to fix that prime meridian;
that that was the object of the meeting, and that it seemed to him
that there must be some misapprehension on the part of the learned
gentleman from France in thinking that this Conference has not the
power to fix upon a prime meridian; that as to our organization, the
Delegate of France (Mr. Lefaivre) spoke of its not being sufficiently
complete to take up this subject at present, but that it seemed to him
that the Delegates undoubtedly were ready to hear and express
arguments _pro_ and _con_ in regard to that question; that he supposed
that every Delegate had studied this matter before coming here, and
that he did not think that any Delegate would be likely to come here
unless he knew, or thought he knew, some thing about this matter.

Mr. VALERA, Delegate from Spain, announced that he had no power to
pledge his country on this subject; that his authority merely extended
to the power of recommending to his Government such resolutions as
this Conference might adopt.

Count LEWENHAUPT, Delegate of Sweden, then said: "I desire to state in
the protocol that I have no power to engage my Government by my votes
on the different questions which will be submitted to this Conference,
and that, therefore, these votes must only be considered as an
engagement on my part to recommend to my Government the decisions for
which I vote."

General STRACHEY, Delegate of Great Britain, said that in the name of
the Delegates of Great Britain he wished to state that they were in
the same position, but that would not prevent them or this Conference
from forming an opinion and expressing it.

The PRESIDENT stated that on behalf of the Delegates from the United
States they had no power except that of discussion and recommendation.

Mr. DE STRUVE made, on behalf of the Delegates of Russia, a
declaration identical with that made by the Delegate of Sweden.

Baron VON ALVENSLEBEN, Delegate from Germany, made the same
announcement on behalf of his Government.

Mr. FERNANDEZ, Delegate from Mexico, made the same announcement.

Mr. VALERA, Delegate of Spain, remarked that this Conference was
called together not merely to discuss the subject of a prime meridian,
but to determine, so far as these Delegates were concerned, the
propriety of adopting a particular prime meridian, and that his
Government would decide afterwards whether it would accept what this
Conference should recommend.

Dr. CRULS, Delegate of Brazil, stated that his Government authorized
him to take part in the discussion, but not to commit his Government
to the adoption of any particular proposition.

Mr. FLEMING, Delegate of Great Britain, said that he would like to
call the attention of the Conference to the language of the act of
Congress calling this Conference together, and that language runs as
follows:

"That the President of the United States be authorized and
requested to extend to the Governments of all nations in
diplomatic relations with our own an invitation to appoint
delegates to meet delegates from the United States in the
city of Washington, at such time as he may see fit to
designate, for the purpose of fixing upon a meridian proper
to be employed as a common zero of longitude and standard of
time-reckoning throughout the globe."

He added that he thought the object of the Conference clearly was to
determine and to recommend; that although the word "recommend" was not
used in the body of the resolution, it was certainly understood, and,
as a matter of fact, the title of the joint resolution passed by
Congress contains the word "recommend." It reads as follows:

"An act to authorize the President of the United States to
call an international conference to fix on and recommend for
universal adoption a common prime meridian, to be used in
the reckoning of longitude and in the regulation of time
throughout the world."

Baron von Schaeffer, Delegate of Austria-Hungary, then moved that the
Conference adjourn until Monday, the 6th instant, at one o'clock, to
enable Delegates to confer on this subject.

The proposition of the Delegate of Austria-Hungary was then agreed to,
and the Conference adjourned to Monday, October 6, 1884, at 1 o'clock,
p. m.




III.

SESSION OF OCTOBER 6, 1884.


The Conference met pursuant to adjournment in the Diplomatic Hall of
the Department of State, at one o'clock p. m.

Present:

Austro-Hungary: Baron IGNATZ VON SCHAEFFER.
Brazil: Dr. LUIZ CRULS.
Colombia: Commodore S. R. FRANKLIN.
Costa Rica: Mr. JUAN FRANCISCO ECHEVERRIA.
France: Mr. A. LEFAIVRE, Mr. JANSSEN.
Germany: Baron H. VON ALVENSLEBEN, Mr. HINCKELDEYN.
Great Britain: Capt. Sir F. J. O. EVANS, Prof. J. C. ADAMS,
Lieut.-General STRACHEY, Mr. SANDFORD FLEMING.
Guatemala: Mr. MILES ROOK.
Hawaii: Hon. W. D. ALEXANDER, Hon. LUTHER AHOLO.
Italy: Count ALBERT DE FORESTA.
Japan: Professor KIKUCHI.
Mexico: Mr. LEANDRO FERNANDEZ, Mr. ANGEL ARGUIANO.
Paraguay: Capt. JOHN STEWART.
Russia: Mr. C. DE STRUVE, Major-General STEBNITZKI, Mr.
KOLOGRIVOFF.
San Domingo: Mr. DE J. GALVAN.
Salvador: Mr. ANTONIO BATRES.
Spain: Mr. JUAN VALERA, Mr. EMILIO RUIZ DEL ARBOL, Mr.
JUAN PASTORIN.
Sweden: Count CARL LEWENHAUPT.
Turkey: RUSTEM EFFENDI.
United States: Rear-Admiral C. R. P. RODGERS, Mr. LEWIS
M. RUTHERFURD, Mr. W. F. ALLEN, Commander W. T.
SAMPSON, Professor CLEVELAND ABBE.
Venezuela: Dr. A. M. SOTELDO.

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States, said that the
resolution offered by him at the last meeting omitted to state that
the proposed meridian was for longitude, and he would offer the
following as a substitute therefor:

"_Resolved_, That the Conference proposes to the Governments
here represented the adoption of the meridian passing
through the centre of the transit instrument at the
Observatory of Greenwich as the standard meridian for
longitude."

The PRESIDENT then asked if the Conference would permit the
substitution to be made, and it was unanimously agreed to.

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States, stated that he did not
propose to press the resolution to an early vote, but that it was
offered simply to elicit the opinions of Delegates on the subject. He
further stated that, having heard that the Delegates of France, Mr.
LEFAIVRE and Mr. JANSSEN, desired to present certain propositions, he
would, for that purpose, move to withdraw for the time being the
resolution offered by him.

No objection being made, the resolution was temporarily withdrawn.

Mr. LEFAIVRE, Delegate of France, then made the following statement:

Our colleague, Mr. RUTHERFURD, having withdrawn his motion for the
adoption of the meridian of Greenwich, we, the Delegates of France,
after consultation with him, submit the following motion:

"_Resolved_, That the initial meridian should have a
character of absolute neutrality. It should be chosen
exclusively so as to secure to science and to international
commerce all possible advantages, and in particular
especially should cut no great continent--neither Europe nor
America."

Sir F. J. O. EVANS, Delegate of Great Britain, then stated that he
presumed the Conference could hardly pass by the important meeting
held at Rome, where twelve of the thirty-eight Delegates were
directors of national observatories, and where the subject of the
conditions which should attach to a prime meridian were discussed
without reference to any particular nationality; that these learned
gentlemen came to the conclusion (which he thought was a very wise
one) that the necessity existed for a prime meridian that it should
pass through an astronomical observatory of the first order; that
modern science demanded such precision, and therefore they excluded
all ideas of a meridian being established on an island, in a strait,
on the summit of a mountain, or as indicated by a monumental building.
Looking at the subject in its various aspects, they came to the
conclusion that there were only four great observatories which in
their minds combined all the conditions, and this decision was
unanimously received by that Conference. Those great observatories
were Paris, Berlin, Greenwich, and Washington. He stated further that,
having this in view, he thought this Conference should be particularly
guarded, looking at the question from a scientific point of view, not
to depart from the conditions laid down by the Conference at Rome;
that he had no desire to advocate any one of the places enumerated,
but merely mentioned them as satisfying all the conditions of science,
which was so brilliantly represented at Rome.

Commander SAMPSON, Delegate of the United States, then said:

I can only attempt to anticipate the arguments which may be advanced
by the learned Delegate from France in support of his resolution to
adopt a neutral meridian. But it is our simple duty, in our present
judicial capacity, to examine the question of a prime meridian from
all points of view. With the object, then, of considering the question
from another stand-point, I ask your attention for one moment. This
Congress, at its last meeting, by a unanimous vote, declared its
opinion that it was desirable to adopt a single prime meridian for the
purpose of reckoning longitude. Further, it is fair to assume that the
delegates here assembled, in answer to a specific invitation from the
Government of the United States, and for a stated purpose, have come
empowered by their respective governments to act upon the questions
submitted for their consideration in the invitation.

At the last meeting, the Delegates from France left us somewhat in
doubt regarding their views upon this important question of the powers
of the delegates, or at least of their own delegation. But as they
have to-day advocated the adoption of a neutral meridian, we may
conclude that they have the necessary delegated power to fully
consider and determine the main question before us--the selection of a
prime meridian.

In the absence of any declared opinion to the contrary, we may take it
for granted that the Delegates from all States here represented are
deputed to "fix upon a meridian proper to be employed as a common zero
of longitude throughout the globe," and to recommend the same for
adoption to their respective Governments.

If, then, we are of one mind as to the desirability of a single prime
meridian, and if we are fully empowered to make the selection, which
may be taken as another way of saying that we are directed by our
respective Governments to make the selection, we may proceed directly
to the performance of this duty.

In the choice of a prime meridian, there is no physical feature of our
earth which commends itself above others as the best starting point;
nor does the form of the earth itself present any peculiarity which
might be used as an initial point. If the refinements of geodesy
should finally lead to the conclusion that the figure of the earth is
an ellipsoid with three axes, yet the question of the direction of
either of the equatorial axes must remain to such a degree uncertain
that the extremity of the axis could not be assumed as the point of
departure for counting longitude. Indeed, as an initial meridian must
above all things be fixed in position, it would not answer to make its
position depend upon any physical constant which is itself in the
slightest degree uncertain; for in these days, when refinements in
physical measurements are constantly leading to more and more accurate
results, each advance in accuracy would necessitate an annoying change
in the initial meridian, or, what would more probably result, the
retention of the first chosen meridian, which would thus lose its
dependence upon the original definition, and become as arbitrary as
if taken by chance in the first instance.

We may then say that, from a purely scientific point of view, any
meridian may be taken as the prime meridian. But from the standpoint
of convenience and economy there is undoubtedly much room for a
choice.

Considering this question of convenience in connection with the
necessary condition of fixity already referred to, the prime meridian
should pass through some well-established national observatory.

In making the choice of a prime meridian which is to serve for a great
period of time, it is important to so fix and define it that the
natural changes of time may not render it in the least degree
uncertain. To this end, the nation within whose borders the chosen
point may fall should engage to establish it in the most enduring
manner, and protect it against all possible causes of change or
destruction.

When taken in connection with other requirements, to be mentioned
hereafter, this character of permanence will be best secured by making
the adopted meridian pass through an observatory which is under the
control of the Government.

Such observatory should be in telegraphic communication with the whole
world, in order that the differences of longitude from the prime
meridian may be determined for any point. These conditions of
convenience are so important that they may fairly be considered
imperative. To fulfil them one of the national meridians now in use
should be selected. To select any other than one of these meridians,
or a meridian directly dependent upon one of them, and defined simply
by its angular distance from one of these national meridians, would be
to introduce endless confusion into all charts and maps now in use.

To select as a prime meridian one which shall be a defined angular
distance from one of the national meridians, must have for its object
either to remove some inconvenience which results from the use of the
national meridian itself, or it must be to satisfy a desire to deprive
the selected meridian of any nationality.

The inconvenience of east and west longitudes, which results from
having the prime meridian pass through a thickly populated portion of
the world, will be removed by reckoning the longitude continuously
from O deg. to 360 deg.. At the same time an important advantage is secured by
having the prime meridian occupy a central position with regard to the
most densely populated part of the earth; because the distances which
will then separate the various points from the central observatory
marking the initial meridian will be a minimum, and consequently less
liable to error in determination. The selection of a meridian by
calculation, defined as a certain number of degrees east or west of
one of the national meridians, would not thereby deprive the meridian
thus selected of a national character; for though we may reckon
longitude from a meridian passing through the Atlantic or Pacific
Ocean, yet the initial point from which all measurements of longitude
must be made would still remain one of the national meridians. Again,
if any other than one of the national meridians were selected, or a
meridian dependent upon one of them, as, for example, a neutral
meridian in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean, it would necessitate a
change in all charts and maps.

It is hardly necessary to say that no scientific or practical
advantage is to be secured by adopting the meridian of the great
pyramid, or by attempting to establish permanent meridian marks over a
great length of the selected meridian, for even in the present
advanced condition of astronomical and geodetic science it is not
practicable to establish two points on the same meridian at a
considerable distance from each other with such a degree of accuracy
as would warrant the use of them indifferently as the initial point.

As a matter of economy as well as convenience that meridian should be
selected which is now in most general use. This additional
consideration of economy would limit our choice to the meridian of
Greenwich, for it may fairly be stated upon the authority of the
distinguished Delegate from Canada that more than 70 per cent. of all
the shipping of the world uses this meridian for purposes of
navigation.

The charts constructed upon this meridian cover the whole navigable
globe. The cost of the plates from which these charts are printed is
probably 75 per cent. of the cost of all plates in the world for
printing mariners' charts, and is probably not less than ten millions
of dollars. As a matter of economy, then, to the world at large, it
would be better to permit those plates to remain unchanged which are
engraved for the meridian of Greenwich and to make the necessary
changes in all plates engraved for other meridians.

A very natural pride has led the great nations to establish by law
their own prime meridian within their own borders, and into this error
the United States was led about 35 years ago.

Should any of us now hesitate in the adoption of a particular
meridian, or should any nation covet the honor of having the selected
meridian within its own borders, it is to be remembered that when the
prime meridian is once adopted by all it loses its specific name and
nationality, and becomes simply the Prime Meridian.

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States, stated that he did not
propose to take up much of the time of the Conference; that he had
listened with great pleasure to the exhaustive speech of his
colleague, Commander SAMPSON, but that he wished to say a few words
about the conditions of permanence in the prime meridian to which
allusion had just been made. He said that he would call attention to
the fact that the observatory at Paris stands within the heart of a
large and populous city; that it has already been thought by many of
the principal French astronomers that it should no longer remain
there; that it has been, interfered with by the tremors of the earth
and emanations in the air, which prevent it from fulfilling its
usefulness; that for several years past strenuous efforts have been
made to remove the observatory from Paris to some other place where it
may be free to follow out its course of usefulness, and that the only
thing which keeps it there is the remembrance of the honorable career
of that observatory in times past. He added that he was sure that
there was no one here who failed to recognize its claims to
distinction; that there was no one here acquainted with the past
history of astronomy but looks with pride upon the achievements of the
human intellect effected there. At the same time, however, if a
change is to be made, if sentiment should give way to practical
reason, a locality, no doubt, will be found which may be calculated to
fulfil the requirements of a prime meridian better than that one.

As to the fitness of Greenwich, he said that the observatory was
placed in the middle of a large park under the control of the
Government, so that no nuisance can come near it without their
consent, and that it was in a position which speaks for itself; that
he would only add one word more in regard to this matter, and that is,
that the adoption of the meridian of Greenwich as the prime meridian
has not been sought after by Great Britain; that it was not her
proposition, but that she consented to it after it had been proposed
by other portions of the civilized world.

Mr. JANSSEN, Delegate of France, said: We do not put forward the
meridian of the observatory of Paris as that to be chosen for the
prime meridian; but if it were chosen, and we wished to compare it
with that of Greenwich as to the accuracy with which it is actually
connected with the other observatories of Europe, it would not lose by
the comparison. The latest observations of the differences of
longitude made by electricity by the Bureau of Longitudes of France
and our officers have given very remarkable results of great accuracy.
It is well known that what is important for a starting point in
reckoning longitude is, above all things, that it should be accurately
connected with points whose positions have been precisely fixed, such
as the great observatories. There is, therefore, a slight confusion on
the part of my eminent colleague, namely, that of not distinguishing
between the conditions which require the exact connection of the
starting point of longitudes with observatories, and the merits of the
position of such a point in an astronomical aspect, which is here a
matter of secondary importance.

Mr. LEFAIVRE, Delegate of France, said that he did not not know if his
observation was well founded, but it seemed to him that what the
Delegates of France had proposed had not been contested, but that the
arguments used had rather been those in favor of the adoption of the
meridian of Greenwich.

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States, said that the
observations which he had made were merely to be regarded as a
negative of the proposition made by the Delegates of France, and not
as a statement of the arguments in favor of the adoption of Greenwich.

The PRESIDENT said that the remarks of the Delegate of the United
States were not out of order, inasmuch as they were intended to combat
the proposition brought forward by the Delegate of France.

Mr. JANSSEN, Delegate of France, then spoke as follows:

GENTLEMEN: At the last session, when a proposition was made by my
eminent colleague and friend, Mr. RUTHERFURD, to discuss and vote upon
the adoption of the meridian of Greenwich as the common prime
meridian, I thought it necessary to say that the proposal appeared to
me prematurely made, and that we could not agree to the discussion
proceeding in that manner. Mr. RUTHERFURD has informed me that he
would withdraw his proposition for the present, in order to permit me
to direct the discussion, in the first place, to the principle which
should direct the choice of a common prime meridian. I here take the
opportunity of thanking Mr. RUTHERFURD for his courtesy, and I no
longer object to proceeding with the debate.

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