LONGITUDE AND TIME-RECKONING. 149 



Two communications on the subject have lately appeared in the "Bulletin 

 de la Soci^t^ Geographie, Paris, 6th Series, Vol. 9." 



The first, originally submitted to the Imperial Geographical Society of Russia 

 by M. Otto Struve, Director of the Pulkova Observatory, was subsequently read 

 before the Geographical Society, Paris, by M. le Comte Guidoboni Visconte. 

 The second, was communicated to the same society by M. A. Germain, Inge- 

 nieur Hydrographie. 



The recommendation of M. Germain is that the meridian of Paris should be 

 maintained. He takes an essentially national and non-cosmopolitan view of 

 the subject. The line of argument adopted by him does not call for refutation, 

 even if controversy in this instance fell within the province of the writer. 



M. Germain seems to think, for his opinions are not positively expressed, 

 that if England would adopt the metrical measurement of France, it would be 

 a gracious act for France to accept the prime meridian of England. 



The communication of M. Otto Struve is of a diBferent character. He argues 

 for the necessity of a common first meridian, in the general interests of navi- 

 gation, of geography and of astronomy. He points out that national vanity 

 seems to have been the sole cause that up to the present time, to the great 

 detriment of scientific advancement, different first meridians are in use. He 

 very correctly writes: "La question de I'unification des m^ridiens ne depend 

 d'aucune consideration d'economie politique, eUe int^resse uniquement le 

 monde savant. Sa realisation n 'exige pas certains sacrifices de la part du 

 public ; eUe demande seulement quelques concessions d'habitudes et de 

 pr^jug^s nationaux, et cela, de la part de ceux-lk memes qui, aprfes une courte 

 p^riode de transition, en tireront les plus grands profits. Cela est exclusive- 

 ment I'affau'e du monde scientifique, et nous esp^rons qu 'aucun de ses membres 

 ne refusera de faire les insignifiantes concessions dont nous parlions pour par- 

 venir a cette entente d'une utihte gen6rale." 



M. Struve's paper will well repay perusal. His remarks are totally free 

 from national bias ; he favours the adoption of the Greenwich meridian in 

 preference to any other, mainly on account of the fact that the exae, and 

 the most useful ephemerides published, known under the name of the "Na utical 

 Almanac," are calculated to correspond with it. He admits, however, that it 

 is impossible to disregard the influence of national jealousies, and he points 

 out how much they stand in the way of obtaining a general recognition of any 

 first meridian established on national grounds. 



The conclusions to be drawn from the valuable paper of M. Otto Struve are, 

 that although he gives the preference to Greenvsdch as a common first meridian, 

 that a meridian passing through the ocean, away from every country, and an 

 exact multiple of 15° from Greenwich, would be a simple and desirable 

 alternative. 



The Pacific meridian advocated in the present paper meets these conditions, 

 and in itself offers many positive advantages. It passes through the ocean 

 without meeting any continent, except uninhabited land on the Arctic circle. 

 The Xautical Almanac, recognized by M. Struve, and by the leading astrono- 

 mers of the world, to be the most complete work of the kind published, and 

 in consequence the most generally used, would apply to it without interpolation. 

 And as no national jealousy would be awakened, all national objections to the 

 initial meridian proposed would entirely disappear, and its general acceptance 

 be considered a ready and harmonious solution to an embarrassing difficulty in 

 a matter of the greatest scientific importance. 



