ate in
the protocol that I have no power to engage my Government by my votes
on the different questions which will be submitted to this Conference,
and that, therefore, these votes must only be considered as an
engagement on my part to recommend to my Government the decisions for
which I vote."

General STRACHEY, Delegate of Great Britain, said that in the name of
the Delegates of Great Britain he wished to state that they were in
the same position, but that would not prevent them or this Conference
from forming an opinion and expressing it.

The PRESIDENT stated that on behalf of the Delegates from the United
States they had no power except that of discussion and recommendation.

Mr. DE STRUVE made, on behalf of the Delegates of Russia, a
declaration identical with that made by the Delegate of Sweden.

Baron VON ALVENSLEBEN, Delegate from Germany, made the same
announcement on behalf of his Government.

Mr. FERNANDEZ, Delegate from Mexico, made the same announcement.

Mr. VALERA, Delegate of Spain, remarked that this Conference was
called together not merely to discuss the subject of a prime meridian,
but to determine, so far as these Delegates were concerned, the
propriety of adopting a particular prime meridian, and that his
Government would decide afterwards whether it would accept what this
Conference should recommend.

Dr. CRULS, Delegate of Brazil, stated that his Government authorized
him to take part in the discussion, but not to commit his Government
to the adoption of any particular proposition.

Mr. FLEMING, Delegate of Great Britain, said that he would like to
call the attention of the Conference to the language of the act of
Congress calling this Conference together, and that language runs as
follows:

"That the President of the United States be authorized and
requested to extend to the Governments of all nations in
diplomatic relations with our own an invitation to appoint
delegates to meet delegates from the United States in the
city of Washington, at such time as he may see fit to
designate, for the purpose of fixing upon a meridian proper
to be employed as a common zero of longitude and standard of
time-reckoning throughout the globe."

He added that he thought the object of the Conference clearly was to
determine and to recommend; that although the word "recommend" was not
used in the body of the resolution, it was certainly understood, and,
as a m