CATALOGUE OF INSTITUTIONS— INTERNATIONAL 



101 



of patrolling the ice regions in the vicinity of the 

 Grand Banks of Newfoundland along the trans- 

 Atlantic steamship lanes, where in the spring and 

 early summer icebergs form a menace to naviga- 

 tion, was thoroughly discussed, and the conven- 

 tion signed on January 20, 1914, by the repre- 

 sentatives of the various maritime powers of the 

 world provided for the inauguration of an inter- 

 national service of ice observation and ice patrol 

 in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Government 

 of the United States was invited to undertake the 

 management of this service, the expense to be 

 defrayed by the powers interested in transatlantic 

 navigation in a fbced proportion, which was 

 definitely agreed upon, subject to ratification by 

 the law-making bodies of the governments con- 

 cerned. 



As the convention when ratified would not go 

 into effect until July 1, 1915, the Government of 

 Great Britain, on behalf of the several powers 

 interested, made inquiry on January 31, 1914, 

 as to whether the United States would be disposed 

 to undertake at once this international service 

 under the same mutual conditions and obliga- 

 tions as provided in the convention. The propo- 

 sition was favorably considered by the President, 

 and on February 7, 1914, he directed that the 

 Coast Guard begin as early as possible in that 

 month the international service of ice observation 

 and ice patrol. Each year since then, with the 

 exception of the World War years 1917 and 1918, 

 ice observation studies, oceanographic investiga- 

 tions, and a sei-vice of ice patrol has been carried 

 on by the United States Coast Guard. It is a 

 matter of national pride that smce this duty was 

 assumed by the Coast Guard there has not been 

 a life lost in the area being patrolled. 



The International Conference on Safety of Life 

 at Sea, signed at London on May 31, 1929, made 

 provision for the continuance of this international 

 service along the same general lines as provided 

 for in the Convention of January 20, 1914. The 

 Congress of the United States, by Act approved 

 June 25, 1936, foUowmg the ratification of the 

 International Convention by the United States, 

 provided by law for the conduct of this Interna- 

 tional Ice Observation and Ice Patrol Service by 

 the United States Coast Guard. 

 Location: North Atlantic Ocean and Davis Strait. 

 Organization to ichich attached: United States Coast 



Guard. 

 Purposes: Safety of life at sea, and furtherance of 



knowledge of ice conditions and oceanography 

 in the North Atlantic and Davis Strait region. 

 Scope of actimties: Briefly stated, the duties of the 

 Coast Guard in conducting the Ice Patrol consist 

 in finding and keeping in touch day by day with 

 icebergs and field ice, determining their set and 

 drift, reporting their presence and location to the 

 Hydrographic Office of the Navy, and broadcast- 

 ing the information by radio for the protection of 

 shipping. The Coast Guard cutters while on this 

 work also perform such incidental ser\'ice, not to 

 interfere, however, with the paramount duty of 

 the patrol, as rendering assistance to vessels in 

 distress, gix'ing medical aid to crews of passing 

 vessels, removing obstructions to navigation, and 

 extending such other assistance to the mariner as 

 may be practicable. 



Scientific observations are made of the ocean 

 currents, their direction and rate of flow; salinity 

 content of the water; bathymetry; and upper air 

 currents; and .such other observations and experi- 

 ments for the aid and furtherance of oceanographic 

 knowledge, particularly with relation to ice 

 conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean, as might 

 be deemed advisable and feasible. 



Equipment: Normally three vessels are detailed 

 from the regular Coast Guard organization for 

 the duty of ice observation and ice patrol during 

 the ice menace season. During the balance of the 

 year scientific cruises are planned and conducted 

 by one vessel when the need for such observations 

 are necessary or advisable. 



Staff: One commissioned officer and one senior 

 physical oceanographer specialize in the scientific 

 work associated with the International Service of 

 Ice Observation and Ice Patrol. This duty is 

 carried on as a part of the prescribed work of the 

 United States Coast Guard, and the administra- 

 tive and operating forces of the Coast Guard are 

 utilized to such extent as may be necessary for 

 the proper and efficient conduct of this interna- 

 tional service. 



Scientific (permanent members) 



Mr. Floyd M. Soule, Senior Physical 

 Oceanographer. 

 The commissioned officer assigned as ice obser- 

 vation officer serves on such detail for usually 

 about three years when he is relieved by another 

 commissioned officer of the Coast Guard. 



Provisions for visiting investigators: None. 



Income: Provision for the conduct of the Interna- 

 tional Service of Ice Observation and Ice Patrol 



