The Washington times., 1916-05-27
u. S. Will Stand Pat
On Greenwich lime

Little old Greenwich mean noon Ia
good enough for Uncle Sam and there
Is no probability Of his Joining the day
light saving movement which has swept
Europe.
1T is a well meant proposition. but II
Is a sad commentary on the weakness
Of mankind" said an. official Of the
time service at the Naval Observatory
today. go 49, -.,... D.
1T is a fiim-nam proposition pure and
simple. the idea being to set the clocks
and watches ahead ono hour and try to
convince the people It Is an hour latcr
than II really Is.
THE European who was wont to get
up at 8 o'clock now arises at 7 and I'm
ishes his work at 8 o'clock instead Of g.
Now that he has his add tional day.
light. what is he going to do with it?'
asked another official at the observa-
tory.
Although Germany. Austria. Norway,
Sweden, Denmark. Holland. France. and
saving plan. II was stated at the OBJ
seryatory today this would have no eff.
feet on the United States.
I'VE stand pat on Greenwich mean
o oeG the tm seia serve vice. %s /. n not made
by legislation or by advancing or setting
back clocks.
Sun Directs Time.
THE worlds time 10 not fixed by
arbitrary action on the part Of any ma
ton or any body Of men N q nation
It IL computed almost accurately. II
not entirely SO, on the time the sun
crosses the meridian at Greenwich. oil
the average time at which 1t would
cross this meridian each day.
"As q matter of fact the sun crosse,
this meridian at different times on diff
ferent days. Some days It is later thar
usual and on others It Is earlier. Sci
| entists have figured out an average
This Is called the Greenwich mean. oil
1--WE hours after that mean sun
crosses tho meridian at Greenwich W,
| send on. noon from the Naval Observa
tory. This Is done because Washing
| ton is seventy-five degrees west d
Greenv ich and that makes Ave hour'
'If our clocks were run according I,
the n msTdan hs nsa sun we %os
have to change them every day because
| Of the variance In the time the SUI
crosses. II Is to keep the clocks ant
watches on uniform. non-varyinI
average time at which the real SUI
] should cross.
"Tho European countries have beer
using this same system since clocks
were hrst invented, and perhaps ever
before that time. II 10. therefore. mani
| fest that the arbitrary order to SCI
the clocks ahead cannot have any ef
feet on the actual time.
Can't Fool EN- In Winter.
1T may fiim. fam the people durins
the simmer when there Is plenty ol
daylight early in the morning and lat,
In the evening. but In the winter tim,
| It will not work.
You can fool a lot OF people In the
summertime who grow wiser as winter
rolls along. and then You cannot FOO
them at all, especially when II comes
to getting up early in the morning.
For instance, the cum does not rls,
until 7'30 o'clock some mornings In the
winter The man with average intel,
bgence, or even animal instincts. know,
this. II would rot make a particle OF
difference whether the clocks pointed tc
$50, $3.50 or even 1890 when It was really
| 7:Sn for the man awakened by the
alarm clock would see the sun had moi
risen and his own common aense would
, tell him that II was not 1880 o'clock.
at is a we'll intended proposition. bu,
| II Is a sad commentary on the weak
ness of mankind. II Ii a blum in which
the people join rather than get VI
] earlier. Under the time saving move
mont the Europeans will simply try to