CABLES OR WIRELESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1639, 4 January 1913, Page 13

CABLES OR WIRELESS.

1 WHY AN EXPERT PREFERS TO RELY ON WIRES. The Importance of having independent Imperial cables was strongly urged by Mr. Charles Blight, consulting eleotrloal engineer to tho iustralian Commonwealth, who gavo ovidence before tho Royal Dominions Commission on. November 15. Having pointed out that last 6pring all tho British cables crossing the North Atlantio passed into the hands of a foreign company, ho said the desirabilityvof an independent oil-British cable botween Britain and Canada had become inoro' than ever accentuated. Want of cablo control was liable-to lead to war when war might; otherwise have been avoided. .■..', :;'Mr. Bright proceeded toremark on th© absurdity of relying on the seorecy eecured by codes. Any cipher could be read provided a sufficient number of words were telegraphed.'■ During tho South African war a dotachment of troops received cipher orders from Lord Kitchener, but were not in possession of tho-current code word. Nevertheless threo officers in forty-five minutes had deciphered the message. The Boei'3 .habitually tapped our wires and decoded our messages.- ■ __'■;■■ Asked whether in his opinion a cable system was absolutely necessary despite the fact tliat tho Marconi system was coming more and moro to the fore, he replied: "Personally I shquld not like to rMy solely at tho present time on any system of wireless telegraphy for conneoting up the important branches of tho Empire. When I am speaking to anyone I like to know who is nt tlm other end, and I also liko to know how many ends there are."