Prophets to Sea

Ever since the beginning of World War II. the U. S. Weather Bureau's forecasts have been seriously handicapped. In prewar days, the Bureau received constant reports from foreign merchant ships fanned out along the Atlantic lanes. Now, fearful of divulging their positions to enemy raiders, ships move secretly, radios mum. Stations in England, not anxious to give weather tips to Nazi bombers, keep their reports dark. Even Canadian weather reports have stopped.

This week, to get for themselves the most perennially interesting and important news in the world, meteorologists from the U. S. Weather Bureau got ready, to sail on two 2,000-ton Coast Guard cutters, Duane and Bibbo, to permanent weather outposts on the Atlantic. At points one-third and two-thirds of the way between Bermuda and the Azores they will station, send up balloons with instruments to measure pressure, humidity and temperature, keep a constant, weather-wise eye on the sea, wireless their reports back to Washington.

They will be relieved every two weeks. To transatlantic airlines, badly handicapped by weather ignorance, these seagoing weather stations will be of especial value.

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