PIONEER OF DEEP SEA RESEARCH 3 



In Paris the Prince also founded an "Institut Oceanographique" de- 

 voted to research in oceanography and to lectures before the general pub- 

 lic. Eminent scientists of dififerent nationalities are invited to this institute 

 to give lectures on their own investigations. 



Prince Albert was a firm believer in international cooperation and 

 invited research workers from different countries to join him in his 

 cruises, affording them unique opportunities to pursue their special lines 

 of investigation. He appointed a special "Comite de Perfectionnement" 

 to advise on the future activities of his foundations, with a special clause 

 that at least one third of its members should be of foreign, i. e. non- 

 French, nationality. 



In 1914 there were great plans for a series of cruises across the 

 Atlantic Ocean. The dififerent European countries had been invited 

 to send naval ships to the opening of the Panama Canal in the fall of 

 1915. Otto Pettersson and his colleagues in the International Council 

 wanted to utilize this opportunity for an organized "synoptical" study 

 of the upper layers of the whole north Atlantic, using the ships sent 

 across for oceanographic investigations during the passage. Being a 

 close friend of the Prince, Pettersson put the proposal before him. It 

 had an enthusiastic reception and the Prince called together in Monaco 

 a representative meeting of oceanographers to draw up the plans for 

 this cooperation. He agreed to become the "Lord High Admiral" of 

 the whole enterprise and to come in person on board his yacht, the 

 "Hirondelle II," lying at that time ready for cruises in the harbour of 

 Monaco. Grants for the purpose were readily obtained from the Swedish 

 and other governments. Then the first world war broke out in August 

 1914 and the whole plan had to be shelved. The Prince held the Ger- 

 man Kaiser personally responsible for this catastrophe and broke off his 

 earlier friendly relations with him. The war naturally also interrupted 

 the Prince's own work on the high seas. The excellent tool of marine 

 research he had built and equipped, the "Hirondelle II," had to lie 

 idle in the Monaco Harbour and when the war was over the political 

 and financial instability which was its aftermath made an early resumption 

 of its activities impossible. After the death of Albert in 1922 it had to 

 be sold and was acquired by a film company, which made little use of the 

 ship. 



One of the lasting foundations made by Prince Albert was the In- 

 ternational Hydrographic Bureau which, on his invitation and largely 

 with his support, was set up at Monaco. To this institution he confided 

 the publishing of his world map of the ocean depths, the "Carte Generale 



