International Conference Held at Washington Part 28

ANNEX III.

Circular.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE WAs.h.i.+NGTON, _October 23, 1882_.

SIR: On the 3d of August last the President approved an act of Congress, in the following words:

"_Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a.s.sembled_, 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 Was.h.i.+ngton, 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, and that the President be authorized to appoint delegates, not exceeding three in number, to represent the United States in such international conference."

It may be well to state that, in the absence of a common and accepted standard for the computation of time for other than astronomical purposes, embarra.s.sments are experienced in the ordinary affairs of modern commerce; that this embarra.s.sment is especially felt since the extension of telegraphic and railway communications has joined States and continents possessing independent and widely separated meridional standards of time; that the subject of a common meridian has been for several years past discussed in this country and in Europe by commercial and scientific bodies, and the need of a general agreement upon a single standard recognized; and that, in recent European conferences especially, favor was shown to the suggestion that, as the United States possesses the greatest longitudinal extension of any country traversed by railway and telegraph lines, the initiatory measures for holding an international convention to consider so important a subject should be taken by this Government.

The President, while convinced of the good to flow eventually from the adoption of a common time unit, applicable throughout the globe, thinks, however, that the effort now to be made should be to reach by consultation a conclusion as to the advisability of a.s.sembling an International Congress with the object of finally adopting a common meridian. He, therefore, abstains from extending an invitation for a meeting at an a.s.signed day, until he has ascertained the views of the leading Governments of the world as to whether such International Conference is deemed desirable.

I am accordingly directed by the President to request you to bring the matter to the attention of the Government of ----, through the Minister of 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 partic.i.p.ate in an International Conference at a date to be designated in the near future.

You may leave a copy of this instruction with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and request the views of his Government thereon, at as early a day as may be conveniently practicable.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN.

ANNEX IV.

Circular.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WAs.h.i.+NGTON, _December 1, 1883_.

SIR: By a circular instruction of October 23, 1882, you were made acquainted with (the language of) an act of Congress, approved August 3, 1882, authorizing and requesting the President to extend to other Governments an invitation to appoint delegates to meet in the city of Was.h.i.+ngton 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 world; and you were instructed to bring the matter to the attention of the Government to which you are accredited and to inform it that the President deemed it advisable to abstain from the issuance of the formal invitation contemplated, until through preliminary consultation the views of the leading governments of the world as to the desirability of holding such an International Conference could be ascertained.

In the year that has since elapsed this Government has received from most of those in diplomatic relations with the United States the approval of the project, while many have in terms signified their acceptance and even named their delegates.

Besides this generally favorable reception of the suggestion so put forth, interest in the proposed reform has been shown by the Geographical Conference held at Rome in October last, which very decisively expressed its opinion in favor of the adoption of the meridian of Greenwich as the common zero of time longitude, and adjourned, leaving the discussion and final adoption of this or other equivalent unit, and the framing of practical rules for such adoption, to the International Conference to be held at Was.h.i.+ngton.

The President therefore thinks the time has come to call the Convention referred to in my instruction of October 23, 1882. I am accordingly directed by the President to instruct you to tender to the Government of ----, through its Minister for Foreign Affairs, an invitation to be represented by one or more delegates (not exceeding three) to meet delegates from the United States and other nations in an international Conference to be held in the city of Was.h.i.+ngton on the first day of October next, 1884, for the purpose of discussing and, if possible, fixing upon a meridian proper to be employed as a common zero of longitude and standard of time-reckoning throughout the globe.

You will seek the earliest convenient occasion to bring this invitation to the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of ---- by handing him a copy hereof and requesting that the answer of his Government may be made known to you.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN.