RADIO TELEGRAPHY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 522, 1 June 1909, Page 9

RADIO TELEGRAPHY.

ITS ADVANTAGES ON SEA AND LAND. SHOULD WE INSTAL ITP" ' , It is now. s(jmo.. years since tho installation of wireless telegraphy in New Zealand first became a -publio question, and still no '-'.definite step is taken. Tho object. of /tho following article is to sum up ; tho case for,; wireless from tho points of view' of its naval,-military, andshipping advantages. ; New Zeal and is separated from 'the Australian Continent by 1200 miles of sea, taking -'the shortest steamship rout®—BluS to

Melbourne—as a, basis; Wellington is 1239 : > miles distant from-Sydney, and Auckland is 1231 miles from that port. ■: The gap in tho land lino system of communication' is : .traversed by the Sydney-Wakapuaka (Nel-1 • son) submarine, telegraph, a donblo lino; j thenco _ a single cable' crosses to Caatlecliffo, ] . . single Viro to Ob»n, in Stewart Island, i - 'l'horo is also tho Pacific "All Red" cable, ] the terminal station of which is at Doubt- i ; ' less Bay (Auckland),"Tho internal systems i v-. North, South, ana Stewart ' Islands—are : connected by tno. Government cable lines, a » einglowiro between Oban; in Stewart; Wand,! anl the Bluff, and five lines between Blon- , - heim and Wellington. All these - cables are - liable to interruption, either through temporary ■ breaks following upon the wear and / tear: of submarino influences, or - complete . . disconnection -at tho hands of ■an i enemy. Breaks in-the intercolonial and Paoific-lines > would isolate-New Zealand from Australia— from, the world—while ■ each or all yof the ■ three islands-may. bp.isoktcd.by-disconnect-ing the. inter-island- linosi • Hence it is not only possible 'to isolate Nevr Zealand 1 from i thd world, but so. completely disintegrate 1 the country ,itself, so far. as telegraphic : communication is concerned;' This, of.conrse, js : assuming the very worst that could pos- ■ Bibly .happen-to 'our, communications,_ aii. eventuality happily, remote, ,bnt yet possible, ; for it would not he a difficult matter '.for ■ an enemy, having in his possession a ,cable : chart, to sever the connections, granted that ho could remain, unmolested during ,his work.

Naval and Military Considerations. ■v. Conceding! Ifor the sake'of argument, that cur defences! are efficiently organised, the extent of our coast-lino; and' our , geographical . situation ■ are : nevertheless .factors: favourable • to a- surprise attack; from' the enemy, 1 for -ha has many striking pbints to select from,' and ; the greater his strengththe wider his Chbicol : The' element of surprise, .indeed, is ; his strongest weapon, assuming- that the most likely form of attack would be a raid upon our port 3 and. interference. with maritime trade, rather than an organised invasion of : - the, country. It, is contended that an eifec...tivo guard against .surprise would"; bo an i efficient patrol of /the New Zealand coastal waters bjr fast cruisers equipped .with radio- . telegraphic apparatus, and the installation of wireless stations on tho mainland, situated in the vicinity of a strongly-fortified position, ! ■■ ■ to secure, as far as 'possible/ immunity from - interference. . For tnepurpose of .ixempli•fication, let us assume,' as a. reasonable .w hroothoais—in military parlance, .a "general idea"—something' on- the ;following lines "Britain isat war with another power. A : British cruiser moderate in fighting power but > of fast steaming, power,' patrolling the coastal waters in. the vicinity of New Zealand, but about 100 or 200 mile& from the unrest : port or - point of _ communication, 'gets ; into : touch with. a : raiding .-. 'squadron ;of four cruisers, with transports. ' The patrol cruiser, . equipped, with radio-telegraphic apparatus, - advises Fort Ballatice, at wellington. where thoNew Zealand wireless station is situated, , of .tho appearance, and strength of the enemy, • > and being unable, 1 because, of inferiority .of fighting power, .toehold the squadron, she is . yet able, by superior steaining power,'to rcv . main in closo touch with it; and also in con®tant communication, with .'New Zealand, the . objectivedfth© squadron." : ' '!"' ~ Nothing further*.need-.bie r sajd on as.poet of the question.'. But there" 19, by reason of the developments, science of radiotelegraphy, a military; aspect as well. ■. . ;: "What v i9.'olaimed. to boithe longest distanco covered by. wireless-. .telegraphy. as . adaptedw military purposes,-',by the .use of ; ■: ?,;P«table,,apparatus, has be6n r states^areliable authority, "by tho Berliner, Telefiinken Gesellschaft (Berlin Wire- ' if 53 ?. e VF aph ?' Company),;-which, byusine twolight, portable instruments,; succeeded!' witlrtho help of tho Austrian officers, in establishing, communication between Berlin and. Vienna, a. distance of 850 kiiometres." Assuming that the enemy has made a juccessful landing, and .by . severing the land wires between Auckland and Wellington, ?ompletely. isolates .these two points, communication xan; only be maintained bv . wireless. !With -the assistanceof a portable equipment, tho district commands could ( notonly - maintain communication with the . central;.wireless station,' which the Director M.Military Operations would no doubt mato .lis headquarters,='but would also be able to obtain .instant antelligence 'of .the' movementj of the enemy, and also-of cach other. ■■■ . lae.-i most - .recent of ' radio' • »ol.6graphy to military operations ' is "the atf <mp, installation, a compact little, equipment, v■ ','th a trailing . wire—for. receiving oscilla"7 Lioutenant 'Komm, of th« United States Army. ■■ '- Shipping. , .. „ ?ho installation of radio-telegraphy. in-New • Zealand would be-followed by 'the equipment :■ 01. the more important steamers in tho-New Zealand coastal and intercolonial trade, at .well, as.tho vessels of,the ocean trade. This f H; not, an; assumption, .but a statement based X , the expressed opinions', of, shipping men, Iho ,iadvantages to shipping , would bo incal- • -"table. Vessels -of the coastal and interfu 'u trado_ could be- kept ,in touch w'itl . the shore, and-the' worst aspect' of maritime trade—shipwreck—very greatly modified, a: .. : wa ,f. demonstrated conclusively .in the 'recent collision botween tho Republic and Florida when tho work of , the wireless'operator or pa»ingTos!;;nife onbted!y Pr ° mted ' * ~A n. additional -point, .. having-! special' referonce to, installations, on ships, is that vessel! .quipped .forwireless, must each carry ar operator, licensed by the Government of th< country or colony, under whose flag the shii ®?'' 3 > .:*?<{. license is liable to revoca - turn if tho general regulations bearing oi intGn6rence. --.with vothcr-'vessels .are noi ' ; ■■■. Hie Cost. The following is a rough estimate of th< tost of: installation; based oh the'figures foi installation elsewhere.;; Aa botween fhd vari , ' ous systems there is very little difference-ii :•><tne cost;of.installation7 ,:'i. ■ system, with a radiui or CO or 70 miles,-would cost £300 per sta ; tionmasts, £70 eaoh; three or four-roome< <,: building, £300; '/engineer - aridoperator 'ii ' . charge, ~£lßO : per annum ; if ; open continu , ously" assistants, £160 and £140; mainten ance of plant, £00 ;• of buildings, £20. Cap .\tal.cost, £670; first annual cost of mainten . ' n ™ (including s;pcr ; cent.,mtorest on £670) bo 16 IDs. . ■ For a minimum of.fivo stations, tho,Tele ...funben . system, for 70 or; 80 miles radiu i wol !'d Mst about. £520 per station—aphara v tus only. In proportion, as tho radius i; - incroascd, the cost increases, tho ratio be C, me stated ill a general way,' £10 10s. pe '.;. :^lth : a .;minimum.'charge, df £500. t £600 per; 'station "'Masts for medium dis . lances cost from £100 to £200 cach;; • With a 500-mib radius tho figurefl wouli he: — -f ' Capital cost:-Apparatus, £5600; masts ; £200 ; buildings, £600; total, £630(3. • , Operating ; expenses: ;.Engineer, .£260 sporators, £500;- maintenance. of ■ buildings 250; interest, at 5 per. cent., , on '£6300 -. 2315; total,: £1115. -; For distaiiccs of 1000 Wiles and : over,'vor; ;. jpecial; appliances ; and' skill, are reqilired•liore masts than one, with very complicate' - verinl .network. £10 10s. per milo would n 3pubt cover tho "capital, cost of apparatus •ind on ovory -other item thero would he ' • general- increase '-pro rata.'' AVhero; land in ;, tervenea 'the; energy of propulsion must; 1 b • increasedthe. radio-telegraphic - station: aitmusx .'therefore bo judiciously, selected. It i necessary that .power very much in eicesi r that; actually required mUst^be instilled, t cope-with advorso conditions. For examplt it has been fonnd nossible- to send a incf ■ sage.' across tho, Atlantic with 'energy'.of 1 iorse power- only; uv continuous praotics

however, the. Marconi station at Poldhu, with 100 h.p.,, cannot rely on uninterrupted communications being maintained. At Bari, on tho Adriatic, a careful record of the daily co6t of working tho wireless station, which had a radius of 170 miles, showed that the average was £i, per day. v 'l'ho foregoing, is a oomprohensivo statement of tlio caso for "wireless." Radio-tele-graphy has tremendous advantages, . and grave limitations, hut its advantages, especially -in that particular sphere. in which the wire systems are of no uso whatever, undoubtedly outweigh its limitations) As a convenience in war, its utility' is 'tremendous; as a connecting link between tho land and those who havo gone down to the sea in ships, it has already demonstrated its value. . On these two counts , alone, is it worth while installing it in New Zealand?