Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 54 Part 2.djvu/323

 54STAT.] MULTILATERAL, -TE LECOMMUNICATION-APER. 8, 1938 G. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF A DISTRESS MESSAGE [587] §18. The acknowledgment of receipt of a distress message shall be given in the following form: call signal of the mobile station in distress (three times), the word DE, call signal of the station acknowledging receipt (three times), group RRR, distress signal. [588] §19. (1) Any mobile station acknowledging receipt of a distress message must, on the order of the master or his relief, give the fol- lowing information as soon as possible, in the order indicated: its name, its position, in the form specified in §7 [Nos. 558, 559, and 560], the maximum speed at which it is proceeding toward the ship (aircraft or other vehicle) in distress. [589] (2) Before transmitting this message the station must make sure that it is not interfering with the emissions of other stations in a better position to render immediate assistance to the station in distress. H. REPETITION OF A DISTRESS CALL OR MESSAGE [590] §20. (1) Any station of the mobile service which is not in a position to render assistance and which has heard a distress message for which acknowledgment of receipt has not immediately been given, must take all possible steps to attract the attention of stations of the mobile service which are in a position to furnish help. [591] (2) For this purpose, with the permission of the authority responsible for the station, the distress call or distress message may be repeated; this repetition shall be preceded generally by transmis- sion of the auto-alarm signal as defined in §21. A sufficient interval of time shall be provided between the transmission of the auto-alarm signal and the repetition of the distress call (or message) so that mobile stations whose watch is not permanent and which are warned by the sounding of their auto-alarm apparatus may have time to go on watch. Repetition of the distress call (or message) shall be made at full power, either on the distress-wave or on one of the waves which may be used in case of distress (§3 of this article) [Nos. 646, 547, and 548]; at the same time all necessary steps shall be taken to inform the authorities whose assistance may be advantageous. Ante, p. 1537. 1543 Acknowledgment of receipt of distress mes- sage. Repetition of dis- tress call or message. Ante, p. 1535. [592] (3) A station which repeats a distress call or a distress mes- sage shall transmit after it the word DE followed by its own call signal three times. I. AUTOMATIC ALARM SIGNAL [593] §21. (1) The alarm signal shall consist of a series of 12 dashes " ' e " sent in one minute, the duration of each dash being four seconds and 193470°-41-PT. II-20

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