EMPIRE WIRELESS AND CABLE DEVELOPMENTS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17106, 30 March 1921, Page 9

EMPIRE WIRELESS AND CABLE DEVELOPMENTS.

■ ♦ —: ~ Tho" British Postmaster-General, replying recently to a deputation r.presenting tho whole Press of the British Empire, which urged tho need for improvements with regard to communication by cable and wireless, reported tho progress made in the provision of a chain of wireless communication round fhe Empire, and P»l«**|developments in other wireless and cable 86 LordBurnham introduced the deputation, and emphasised that facilities tor the transmission of news were the very essentials of the knowledge that led to understanding between-, all the nations of the world; and particularly between the nations of t!ho British Empire. At. the'present'moment Press rates tori telegrams existed in name only, the deferred rate across the Atlantic was useless, there were great delays, and; it was particularly desired that the wireless policy of the Government should be known. .'-,', ~ ™ ' Lord Riddell mentioned that the English Press were constantly being reproached for publishing insufficient colonial news. The (views of the colonial Press were put forward by Mr Robert* Donald (chairman of the Empire Press Union), Mr Percy Hurd, M.P. (Canada), Mr Taylor Darbyshire (Australasia), Mr P. Crpsbie Roles (India and Ceylon), and Mr N. K. Kerney (South Africa). Mr Illingworth, in reply, said that good progress was being _ made in the • scheme to provider chain of wireless communication round the British Empire. The service to Cairo was in course of construction, and it was hoped to get it working by next May. . That was the first' part of the Imperial chain, lb would go on to Nairobi and then to Windhoek, in South-West Africa, where -the German station was being improved upon. India,- Singapore, HongTSontr., and Australia would be included in the circuit, and the various Dominion' Governments concerned were being consulted. There would also be wireless communication with Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Hungary, Yugoslavia, Italy, Holland, and Belgium. The Marconi Company/a, aervice would cover Spain, Italy, France, Nova Scotia, and New Jersey; A Committee was sitting to consider on what terms licenses should-be given to private enterprises. The question of affording facilities for receiving news sent by the.''Press from the,naval station in America provided by the United States was being considered. Within the Dominions the Government would controlthe wireless services. Efforts were being made to improve apparatus and speed up the cable services, special attention being paid to Canada. It was proposed that the Post; Office, when given ft message, should exercise the option of sending it either by wireless or cable if its method of transmission wore not defined by the sender. The Government, attached great importance to prompt and cheap communication for the whole of the British Empire. • He could not, however, make any definite statement as to policy. He welcomed the formation of a committee representative of the Press, the Stock' Exchange, the Baltio Exchange, Lloyd's, and other big .cable users, which would be able to consult and advise the Government.