THE CASE FOR WIRELESS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19176, 6 December 1927, Page 11

THE CASE FOR WIRELESS.

STATEMENT BY SIGNOR MARCONI. (D* CABLE—MESS ASSOCIATION— COPYEIOnTj (AUSTRALIAN AND N.E. AND BUN CABLE.) LONDON, Deconiber 4.

Sißnor Marconi, in ft. statement, points ont tlint tho Marconi Company was not invited to participate in tho discussions between tho Government and tho cable companies. Ho discloses that the company is shortly inaugurating nn American beam service, and deprecates the talk that war mipht injure wireless. Ho agrees that wireless will bo fatal to cables, owing to tho present cheapness of installing and operating the beam. The statemont says that when facsimile transmission is perfected a substantial reduction in operation oosta and rates is certain, and, therefore, the standardisation of rates and the restriction of wireless to a minor rolo would keep up the rates. The statement drawß attention to the vulnerability of tho cublos in war time, Britain cutting all German cables ana Germany cutting the British Pacific lino for six months, but the German wireless from Naucn continued throughout the war. It adds that in the event of a war in the Pacific, naval preponderance could not prevent the cutting of all Australian cables, whereas only the occupation of British territory could stop wireless. Tho statement emphasises that fading will be overcome and the present effect of it will be avoidable if Empire wireless is worked as a unit and scattered parts are linked up witli beams. Signor Marconi is prepared to submit a scheme on these lines, and is also prepared to co-operate with the cables, providing the development of wireless is not restricted.

POSITION SERIOUS.

(AUSTRALIAN 1 AND CABLS ASSOCIATION.)

(Received midnight, Docember sth.)

CANBERRA, December 5,

In the House of Representatives, Mr Bruce, referring to the position of cable services since the development of beam wireless, said the position was becoming acuto and serious, and would ba more so should tho beam system advance in the next twelve months at the same rate as it had in the past two. Cables were vitally necessary for defence purposes. As the matter was so Berious, it was proposed to appoint a committeo representative of all tho Governments concerned to meet in Britain and go into the question. What effect tho do* velopment of tho beam would have on the Commonwealth interest in the Pacific Cable Company it wan impossible to say.