it, this would be exactly the moment when she would give that signal -long, short, short. And at such a time there would be nothing against the signal. Is there any difficulty in adopting that? It is only at that moment when she sees the risk of collision that she makes the signal, and the other ship is warned that another ship is following her, and if she wants to avoid the risk of collision she must look out and not try to go astern of that vessel. I think that the principle we have adopted makes it necessary for us now to have such a signal, and I do not see any reason why we should not introduce it, as long as it is optional. I think the various reasons I have mentioned would be very much against the compulsion of such signals.

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, the gallant delegate from Germany has pointed out that it is necessary for us to take a formal vote on the matter to be reconsidered, as to whether or not a sailing vessel towing is to give a distinct signal. Probably it would be well to take a vote upon that so as to put ourselves in order. Then I will move the resolution of which I gave notice before luncheon. I move that the question be reconsidered as to whether or not a sailing vessel towing shall give a distinctive sound-signal.

Mr. GOODRICH (United States). Mr. President, I suggest to the learned delegate from Great Britain that no such motion is necessary. I understand that no part of this article has been passed.

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). It was adopted in principle.

Mr. GOODRICH (United States). I thought you were speaking of something on this paragraph.

Captain SAMPSON (United States). Mr. President, I would like to ask if the Conference decided that the same signal should not be given by both steamers and sailing vessels towing, whether it would exclude the adoption of some other signal for sailing vessels towing? If we vote for a reconsideration on the adoption of the principle, and vote against it because of the objection which some of the members of the Conference have to this particular signal, we would be likely to vote to exclude sailing vessels from having any signal at all.

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, I think that on a motion to reconsider a decision with regard to sailing vessels giving sound-signals the question will then be open to discussion as to whether they shall give any sound-signals at all, and if so, what. That would clearly be open on a motion to reconsider.

Captain BISBEE (China). Mr. President, I would ask if it would not save the time of the Conference if the question was put before them as to whether they considered it necessary for a sailing vessel to have any distinctive signal to show that she is towing. I believe that there are men here who have been a generation at sea who have never seen a sailing vessel towing another vessel. If the occurrence is so very rare, what is the good of making a rule to provide for it?

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, we cannot discuss that un. til we have agreed to reconsider it. I quite agree with the gallant delegate from China in what he has said.

The PRESIDENT. The delegate from Great Britain proposes to reconsider the principle by which a sound-signal was adopted for a sailing vessel towing.

The question on the reconsideration of the principle as above was put to the Conference and was carried.

The PRESIDENT. The question now before the Conference is whether the signal shall be given to a sailing vessel towing or not.

Mr. GOODRICH (United States). Mr. President, adopting the sugges. tion of the learned delegate from Great Britain, I move the following resolution: "That, in the opinion of the Conference, no special signal should be given to sailing vessels while towing another vessel." That will bring out the question clearly and distinctly. Does that agree with the ideas of the gentlemen at the other end of the table?

Admiral NARES (Great Britain). That would agree with my proposal, only it is putting it in a contrary form.

The PRESIDENT. The proposition of the delegate from Great Britain will be read.

The proposition is as follows:

"Shall a special signal be given to a sailing vessel towing as well as to a steam-vessel towing?"

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, I do not quite see how we could discuss this without we have an affirmative or a negative propo. sition introduced into it. I pointed out before adjournment that it was a matter which I thought desirable to discuss, but I think it ought to be discussed on an affirmative or a negative proposition.

Mr. GOODRICH (United States). Mr. President, I call the attention of the gentleman to the fact that I made a motion for that purpose, following out the suggestion which I received from the other end of the conference table, viz, "That, in the opinion of the Conference no special signal should be given to a sailing vessel towing another vessel."

The PRESIDENT. Does the delegate from Great Britain accept that in lieu of his own proposal?

Admiral NARES (Great Britain). Mr. President, on the part of the committee I may say that our position is that we want to know the sense of the Conference as to whether a special signal shall be given to a sailing ship as well as to a steam-ship when towing, and if any gentleman will move it in any words which will bring that question to a vote we will be very glad.

Mr. CARTER (Hawaii). Mr. President, may I point out that the word "special" there involves another matter. My position is that I am in favor of having a steam-vessel and a sailing vessel, when towing another vessel, give the same signal. Now, if you say that a sailing vessel shall give a special signal, different from the signal of the steamer, I would say, No. Would it not be better to put it: Shall a sailing vessel have any signal?

Mr. GOODRICH (United States). Mr. President, I accept that suggestion. Strike out the word "special."

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, that is what the learned delegate from the United States really proposes; and I would like to say a few words upon that point. I can not add anything to the force of what has been stated by the gallant delegate from China, that these cases are practically few in numbers. It is a question for the Conference to decide whether or not it is desirable to put into our rules a special rule giving a sound-signal for such exceptional cases when we have regard to the very great difficulty experienced in getting soundsignals at all. It is difficult enough to get special sound-signals for cases which are not exceptional. We have been occupied now for a day and a half in discussing two sound-signals only. Now, if for excерtional circumstances we are to frame a third sound-signal, then I think it will become more difficult than ever. I confess myself that at first I was inclined to follow the proposal, because I felt, as I have no doubt others felt, that, the principle having been adopted by the Conference, it was necessary to discuss it, and that the committee had no alternative but to propose such a signal after the principle had been adopted. But now we have got the power to reconsider it, which unties our hands. I have had an opportunity of consulting my colleagues, and I shall cast my vote in favor of the proposal that it is not desirable to give any sound-signals to a sailing vessel towing another vessel.

I ought to say with regard to my gallant friend on the right that of course he has done his best on behalf of the committee to whom this matter was referred. The committee have done their best. They have proposed this rule and he adheres to his opinion that this is a signal which could be given. I think it is right that I should state this. But I have also had an opportunity of consulting with my other colleagues and we shall cast our vote against any signal being given, having regard to the fact that the occasions are rare when such signals are wanted and to the difficulty of finding such a signal at all.

Captain MALMBERG (Sweden). Mr. President, I will now come back to what I have stated in the beginning of the discussion on this article. It is found to be very difficult to find a suitable sound-signal for a sailing vessel towing and it has been found quite impossible to find a proper light signal for a sailing vessel towing. Then the whole concern about sailing vessels towing ought to be stricken out of the paragraph.

Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, I would like to be informed whether the opinion expressed by the distinguished delegate from Great Britain is meant to oppose even the introduction of an optional distinctive signal. It is true that this is a case which does not very often happen. The delegate from China has pointed that there are men who have been going to sea for a very long period without ever hav. ing seen such a vessel. I would like to say that these occasions are not so infrequent as he thinks they are, particularly in those waters where the sea is rougher and where there are more fogs, as, for instance, in the North Sea. These cases are not unheard of. I remember quite a number of them which I have seen in such waters.

Now, what has struck me is that there has really not been any point brought against my proposal, which is to leave it optional, and to take the signal which a steamer already has to give, so that there would be no more for the sailor to learn. He knows that this signal is optional, and that it is given on the fog-horn, and that it can not be mistaken in any other respect. Why could not the signal be given in that form? I may say that I am at a loss to understand why this change of opinion has taken place. I have not heard a single reason why I should change my opinion expressed at the first reading of this article. Then it was, as I believe, unanimously accepted that we should adopt this principle. Then I thought it best not to endeavor to introduce a compulsory signal, but to make it an optional one. I am still of that opinion, and I hope that the Conference will adopt my amendment.

Mr. CARTER (Hawaii). Mr. President, we have, of course, listened with great respect to the remarks made by the learned delegate from Great Britain. He advanced two propositions: One was the great difficulty of finding a new signal, and the other was the rarity of occasions on which it would be necessary. Now, it seems to me that quite controverts his position in the matter. He is in favor, as I understand it, of a signal being given to a steamer towing another vessel. Now, what is the necessity for a new signal! A steamer towing another vessel is a vessel towing another vessel, and why should not any vessel, under the same circumstances, give the same signal! That the cases are so very rare only weakens his objection. If you prove that they never existed, the objection would prevail; if you prove that they exist but seldom, then there is very little objection. But it seems to me that, under the circumstances of a vessel towing another vessel in a fog, it is highly necessary there should be, whether a sailing vessel or a steamer, some signal to enable her to give notice that she is towing. There is no necessity for a second signal.

Captain MALMBERG (Sweden). Mr. President, as there has been an allusion made to me, I take the liberty to point out why I wish that the special signal for sailing vessels towing should not be brought into the article. As far as I can see, it is quite impossible to give to a sailing ship towing another ship a signal which would not interfere with Arti. cle 14, prescribing the signals which a sailing vessel has to make. The only way, as I said once before, to get out of that difficulty is to have the vessel towed by the sailing vessel repeat the signal given by the vessel towing. As for introducing a new signal to be made by the sailing vessel towing, it can not be done, because it will conflict with Arti cle 14.

Admiral NARES (Great Britain). Mr. President, the seamen throughout the world must in the future learn a number of signals. You give them a signal for a steam-ship towing. Now, the committee have chosen the same signal for a sailing ship. There is nothing further to learn. The question has often been asked, what is a sailing ship towed or towing to do? Is she to make her signal for the starboard tack or the port tack? The signal which we have chosen for a sailing ship, whether she is towed or whether she is towing, is the same, but one is to be compulsory and the other a permissive signal, which will largely over-ride her starboard and port tack-signals or free-wind signals. It is such a distinctive signal that it completely over-rides the old signal. It will not be an additional signal to learn, because every mariner must learn the signal for a steamer towing.

Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, from what has fallen from the gentleman who sat down just now, I apprehend that his idea is that if a vessel is towing in a fog everybody would have to get out of the way of that vessel. But that principle has not been adopted. The Conference has adopted the principle that no matter whether a ship is towing or not, she has to get out of the way if it is her duty to do so. There is no distinction made in that respect between a steamer towing and a sailing vessel towing. A sailing vessel has to get out of the way, or she has to hold her course under certain conditions. Now, I have tried to explain how my amendment would work if it were adopted. If that amendment is adopted a sailing vessel which was towing would under ordinary circumstances make one, two, or three short blasts on her fog-horn when she heard another vessel coming near her. Then she might alternate and make two short blasts after a silence of about two minutes. The signal-long, short, short; then, after awhile two shorts, and so on.

I do not see what difficulty there would be for any ship meeting this vessel finding out her character and finding out what the ship is doing. That ship has to get out of the way if necessary, and she has to keep her course if necessary. That is the rule adopted by this Conference, and in order that she may do so she must be warned by the other sailing ship what she has got to do. I do not see any reason whatever, and there has been no reason brought forward so far as I can see, against the introduction of this optional signal. I should be glad to hear if there are any reasons to give against the optional introduction of some signal.

The PRESIDENT. The question is upon the motion of the delegate from the United States, that in the opinion of the Conference no signal shall be given to a sailing vessel towing another vessel. Is the Conference ready for the question?

The question was put to the Conference upon the motion of the delegate from the United States, and it was carried.