IMPERIAL WIRELESS CHAIN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 193, 10 May 1919, Page 11

IMPERIAL WIRELESS CHAIN

■TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATIONS 1)0 All 1) SJJT UP.

The British Postmaster-General, in replying to a question in the Hwise of Commons recently by Sir Henry Norman, stated that ho was aware of tho stops taken .by the French and American Governments iu tho erection of State-owned high-power wireless telegraph stations in France and America. As regarded the question of taking -similar steps ill the British Empire, lie said that tho War Cabinet had recently appointed a Telegraph Coinnfunieaiiuiis Board, with Lord JOlner as chairman, whose duty it would he to consider this question as early as possible. "A Board of Control for dealing with all inter-Imperial telegraphy is a step in tho right direction," 1 he said, "nut only for strategic and State reasons, but also for the purposo of greatly developing and cheapening our means of speech with tho dominions. This latter Ims now become more than ever desirable with a view to greatly adding to our oversea trade.' Tho need I'nr action in these matters has long been felt, and the recent traffic delays in cable,messages have accentuated tho position. This highly necessary co-ordination under just such a Buard of Control wus indeed pointed to by Mr. Charles Bright long before tho -war y a Society of Arts paper oil "l'hc Administration of Imperial Telegraphs.' Hostilities have had the effect of developing tho science of aviatioij to such a .'high pitch that its expected inclusion in the scheme for the purposo of rapid communication would not bo only natural, but all to this good. Hitherto, while no fewer thai) five Home Departments have been directly concerned in the matter, the Post Officii has been the only Department to act for tho State. The result has been , long-drawn-out correspondence with the othor offices, very commonly culminating in no. thing being done. Further, the Post Office has, perhaps naturally, nover been sufficiently in touch with-Imperial affrtim to take a very wide view in the matter of telegraphic development. ' Under tho new plan each of the Government Departments concerned ivill be represented on tho board.. Thus the individual delegates, meeting round a table, will bfr abio to thrash things out comparatively quickly and in a. far more satisfactory manner than hitherto, when, indeed, but littlo was over thrashed out. Presumably the Cable Landing liights Committee will now die a natural death, and it is to be hoped—in view of recent, events —that one of the first steps taken by tho now board will be to bring such pros•sure to bear as will socuro the removal of the International Telegraph' Bureau from Berne to a. less unsuitable spot. As to the constitution of the board, it is satisfactory to noto that I/>rd Miiner is to be tho chairman. We understand that it is to come under tho aegis of the Committee of Imperial Defence. But it should surely be recognised that the <lominibns, being quite equally concerned, must ho represented on the ljoard.