that it will be. The iceberg limits in the vicinity of the Grand Banks 

 were "guarded" as best as could be expected by an Ice Patrol Vessel 

 during each ice season (excepting the war years) from the beginning 

 of the International Ice Patrol in 1913 until 1946. In 1946, aircraft 

 were first used as a "supplement" to the Patrol Vessel in the guarding 

 of the ice limits. In 1949 aircraft alone were used for guarding the 

 ice limits. Since 1949, the International Ice Patrol has recognized 

 aircraft as the primary means for observing ice conditions and for 

 guarding the limits of iceibergs in the vicinity of the Grand Banks. 

 The Ice Patrol Vessel has been required only 3 years since then, 1950, 

 1957 and 1959, all heavy and prolonged Grand Banks ice seasons. 

 The danger of icebergs to ships has been reduced over the years mainly 

 as a result of scientific and teclinological advances of our society. 



The simplest and most logical solution to the annual iceiberg menace 

 would appear to be a practicable method of destruction of icebergs 

 before they can become a menace to shipping. Considerable effort 

 has been exerted over the years by the International Ice Patrol to find 

 a feasible and relatively inexpensive method for destroying or hasten- 

 ing the destruction of icebergs. All attempts thus far have failed to 

 achieve any significant results. Assimiing the possibility that a pmc- 

 ticablo way to destroy icebergs will one day be fomid, the complete 

 elimination of the problem may not necessarily follow. Extensive ice 

 reconnaissance to guard the approaches to the shipping lanes would 

 remain a requirement. Even so, it must be assumed that an iceberg 

 might slip into the shipping lanes undetected. Some years hundreds 

 of iceibergs invade the sihipping lanes. The cost of destruction of all, 

 if not most, of these menaces might be prohibitive. The International 

 Ice Patrol has an obligation to all nations sharing its cost to ensure 

 that said nations are getting their money's worth. There is a prac- 

 ticable limit to the expenditures that can be made to increase safety. 

 The wholesale destruction of icebergs might be so expensive as to 

 cause nations to turn to the airways as a more economical means of 

 transport.. Facetiously, replacement of ships by aircraft for trans- 

 Atlantic transport of all passengers and cargo Avould eliminate the 

 iceberg problem. At best, therefore, the destruction of icebergs, if 

 someday a feasible method is developed, would be on a selective and 

 small-time basis. Only during seasons when few icebergs reach 

 the major shipping lanes, would their destraction be worthwhile. 



Since efforts to destroy icebergs have proven futile at least for the 

 forseeable future, we must explore other means to reduce the possibili- 

 ties of another Titanic. If the iceberg menace cannot be eliminated, 

 the least we can do is to seek to render it as ineffective as practicable. 

 The most important step in this direction was the establishment of 

 North Atlantic tracks. The major tracks (C, B, and A) are sliifted to 

 the south to positions normally ice-free during the ice season. These 



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