LEASING A CABLE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15047, 15 August 1914, Page 14

LEASING A CABLE.

AN ALL-BBIXISH SCHEME

THE DOMINIONS COMMISSION

(FBOM OT7R OWK COHSMPONDEKT.) LONDON, July 3

The Dominions Rcral Commission has taken some interesting evidence toucHine ihe All-Red cable project. As an alternative to the British Government laying a cable across the Atlantic, the chairman invited the Western Union Telegraph Company to discuss the lease of one of ita lines for the trork of the Pacific cablo.

Mr Stanley J. Goddard, European representative of tne Western Union Telegraph Company, wns called to make a statement. He said that aftor communicating with his principals in the United States he was in a position to make the following statement, which he submitted to tho Commission in writing:—"Having been asked by the Chairman of the Dominions I»oyal Commission to state tho views of tho [ \Vfcstorn fUnion Telegraph Company j concerning a suggestion which he made that ifc might perhaps be possible for tho We&tern Union Telegraph Company to lease to the Governments concerned one of its existing Atlantic cables connecting Great Britain with the North American Continent, and to arrange to operate it by British subjects, on British territory on behalf of the Governments, 1 have now had an opportunity of communicating the suggestion to Mr Newcomb Carlton, President of the Western Union Telegraph Company in Now York., who expresses the view that, as a general proposition, ho at present sees no insuperable objection to such a proceeding ? subject, of course, to the .«estern Union Company's interests being properly protected. The arrangements that have to be made between the two parties would of necessity entail the consideration of a number of detailed questions, and some considerable difficulty might bo expected to ariso in ! making arrangements satisfactory to both parties; but, so far as can be seen, these difficulties should not be insuperable." EFFECT OP THE SCHEME. Replying to questions, the witness said that H the suggested lease were put through it woukl mean that the Atlantic cable service between England and Montreal would be under British control and worked by a British staff, as far as that one leased line was concerned. In the alternative it might be arranged that the Western Union staff should operate tho leased line under British control, but if the authorities preferred to have their own staff the effect of the arrangement would be that the English-Canadian-Ausiralasian cablo service would be worked and controlled by British authorities throughout, viz., (1) by line leased from *he Western Union between Britain and Montreal; (2) by land-lite leased ,by the Pacific Cable Board from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company from Montreal to Vancouver; and (3) by the Pacific cable to Australia and New Zealand. The line would therefore be both under British co.ntroi and on British territory. Replying to Mr J. R. Sinclair (New Zealand), Mr Goddard said, subject to the terms of any agreement that might be arrived at with the Western Union, this leased line would bo available at all times for all kinds of traffic within the discretion of the Government, or the Pacific Cable Board, or other authority in whom the lino was vested. Everything would depend upon the terms agreed upon.. This was not a proposition put forward by ■ the Western Union. It was put to the . Western Union by the Commission, and had been tentatively considered by the President of tho company. Asked by Sir Alfred Batoman whether, if this leased lino broke down at any time, the British authorities would be able to have the use of any other of the Western Union's cables, Mr Goddard said that that would havo to be a matter of mutual arrangement, because it was obvious that if tho lessee wanted the use of a second or alternative cable in tho event of a breakdown, he would havo to pay for it. In practice it would probably bo found necessary to havo such an alternative lino, because all cables were liable to interruption, and there was more liability to breakdowns on tbo Atlantic lines than almost anywhere else. EMPIRE WIRELESS. A few later Mr Godfrey Isaacs; the managing director of tho Marconi Company, gave evidence. Hβ said: At present the Atlantic rate for wireless telegraphy is 8d pear word, as compared with Is a word for submarine tele- | graphy, but that is by no means a fixed proportion. In my view the development of wireless telegraphy must bring about universal cheap telegraphic communication, •'■. but Ido not contemplate that the telegraphic services- of the British Dominions will be conducted by private companies. It seems to "mc to be as clearly in Imperial interests that communication between ono part of the Empire and another should be made cheap and efficient that the State wiH not be content to depend upon private control, but must insist upon Government control. No private company, ought to be expected to conduct aa Imperial telegTaphio service at cost price, but the State could do so. Inasmuch as the cost of wiroless telegraphy is going to be so cheap, I see no reason why it should not be universal throughout the British Empire. And not only uni T versal, but co cheap, owing to ite universal use, and the low cost of establishing and extending tho system that it is quite possible, and indeed probable, that Sir Henniker Heaton's proposal for a universal Imperial telegraphic rate of Id j>or word will be introduced in practical form. One of tho objects of the Marconi Company is to establish an Imperial system of telegraphy on British territory, managed and worked by British officials, and free from foreign control. Only this morning I havo had a conference with the heads of departments in tho MaTConi Company, with a view to organising a Press service between this country and CanI ada, designed to supply news to both tho Canadian and British Press at one halfpenny per word. I have no doubt that as new stations are constructed other parts of tho Empfoe will bo brought within the range of a .correspondingly choap Imperial 6exvice.