76 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



velopment of the science and for improvement in forecasting. Navi- 

 gation of the air, which lias advanced to the point where transoceanic 

 and round-the-world flights have been demonstrated as practicable, 

 has emphasized the need for the securing of daily reports of prevail- 

 ing weather conditions from all parts of the world and the issuing of 

 dailv international weather charts. Nearly all countries maintain 

 m.eteorological services and the observations are available. It is 

 largely a question of providing means for prompt and efi^ective trans- 

 mission and the publishing of the information. This is a project 

 in which cooperation between the various countries is necessary and 

 naturally involves a proportionate payment of the costs. The de- 

 pressed financial conditions existing throughout the world prevents 

 any serious consideration of such a project at the present time. 

 However, the United States Weather Bureau has been able to arrange 

 for the collecting of a considerable number of foreign reports for its 

 own needs and purposes and at negligible cost. 



Prior to the w^ar a few reports were received from Mexico, Europe, 

 Asia, and from tlie Far East. These were entirely suspended during 

 the war. Arrangements were made for their resumption during the 

 year just ended, with a material increase in the number of reports. 

 There was no interruption to the exchange of reports between the 

 United States and Canada and in the obtaining of observations from 

 Alaska, Cuba, the West Indies, and from Central American countries. 



Including the reports obtained under the plans put into operation 

 during the past year, observations are nov\' received daily from 40 

 stations in Canada ; 9 in Alaska ; 22 in European countries, embracing 

 England, Spain. Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, 

 Poland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and the Azores; 36 in 

 the West Indies, Cuba, and Central America; IT in Mexico; and 12 

 in the Pacific and the Far East, including the Hawaiian Islands, 

 Guam, Midway Island, the Philippines, Japan, and China. These 

 reports are charted and are utilized in connection with the regular 

 forecast and storm-warning work of the bureau. 



Arrangements also were made during the year for supplying to the 

 French meteorological service of a daily radiogram containing ob- 

 ^:ervations taken at about 40 stations in the United States and a simi- 

 lar message soon will be sent to the meteorological service of the 

 Philippines and Japan. The report's sent to France are broadcast by 

 radio from the Eiffel Tower for the benefit of the European meteor- 

 ological services within its range. The United States Weather 

 Bureau receives in exchange a daily message by radio, containing 

 reports from European countries. These exchanges are made pos- 

 sible without cost by the cooperation of the Office of Communication 

 of the Navy Department. 



The Amundsen polar expedition started from Seattle on June 

 1. 1922. The exploring ship Maud is equipped with radio ap- 

 paratus and has a scientific officer on board. It is the plan of this 

 expedition to pass through the Bering Straits, reach the farthest 

 point north that is possible, become frozen in the ice, drift therewith 

 for an estimated period of about three years and come into the open 

 sea to the northeastward of Greenland. The ship expects to main- 

 tain radio communications with the United States Signal Corps 

 station at Nome, Alaska, for nearly two years. Arrangements were 



