The Dominion FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1921. NEW TIES OF EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 255, 22 July 1921, Page 4

The Dominion FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1921. NEW TIES OF EMPIRE

Several things combine to give the Imperial Conference of 1921 a place of special importance in the history of the Empire, and it is not least noteworthy in the measures it has taken to forward a great improvement in the means of communication between the various countries of the British fajnily of nations. In this section of the work of the Conference welldeserved prominence lias been given to two great enterprises—the development of wireless communications that will adequately meet the needs of the Empire, and the establishment of long-d'.stance airship services. Improved wireless communications and fast airship services alike promise to serve an 'immensely useful purpose in the life and development of the Empire, and there does not seem to be any doubt that sound Imperial policy demands the enterprising utilisation of both these, aids to modern progress. So far as wireless is concerned, it is a matter for regret that there are apparently some technical or other obstacles to establishing a chain of stations which would enable each important country in tho Empire to communicate direct with any of the others. Mr. Massey, it was reported a few days ago. is confident that a wireless chain will be established even if relays are necessary. _ Apparently there are some difficulties about developing. a system of direct wireless communications, but, these are worth overcoming even if a considerable outlay is involved. The Empire certainly ought to be content with nothing Jess than a complete system of wireless communication, over which it will enjoy undivided and unhampered control. Enterprise on these lines is indispensable, not only in the interests of political and commercial communication, but with an eye to the organisation of a thoroughly efficient and up-to-date news service, which will bring the different parts of the Empire effectively into touch one with another, and with the rest of the world. The possibilities of wireless are nowhere more wonderfully emphasised than in the recent progress of wireless telephony. In actual practice the wireless telephone is being used in communication . over long distances, and there is expert authority for the view that a great extension of the present working range is immediately practicable. For instance, Professor J. A. Fleming, University Professor of Electrical Engineering in the University of London, stated a few weeks ago that, there was nothing at all impossible in the prospect of being able to speak. . through the exchanges. from Britain to New York, and that it was simply a question of cost. The great thing about the present stage of development,, he observed, was that it was possible to transmit over wire by ordinary telephone and then automatically transfer speech on a wcreless circuit, and then automatically .to transfer back to the line again. Professor Fleming mentioned that he had suggested years ago that it might bo quite possible for the Premiers of the .great self-governing Dominions, without leaving their offices, to communicate by wireless telephone and attend a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street. “Their bodies would be separated by thousands of miles, but their minds would be in union.” ' . In one way and another, wireless in its actual and potential.development offers advantages which the Empire is evidently bound to utilise to the. fullest extent that practical considerations of capital and working cost will permit. At an immediate view it, may appear that the useful possibilities of the airship are confined within a much narrower scope than those of an up-to-date system of wireless communications. On the facte in sight, however, the giant dirigible is an asset the Empire cannot neglect without being left behind in the race of modern progress. Without prejudice to the rapid and promising development of the aeroplane and . its acknowledged superiority in many classes of aerial service, a very strong case is made out, by experts for the view that the airship offers a better means of conveying passengers and express freight over such ‘distances as separate the countries of the British Empire. There can liardIv be any doubt. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu observed recently, “that for long-distance non-stop journeys, such as England to Egypt, to India. to the Far East, to West, East, and South Africa, airships rather than the airplane must eventually to the means of our conveyance. Before the end of J 91.8 one of our airships had spent.lo4 hours in the air without coming clown, and everyone knows of ’he wonderful flight made by a German airshin from Belgrade to Khartoum and back, a distance of over 2100 miles It is also not generally realised that, over 2,000,000 miles were flown during the war by airships of different tynes without accident.” An idea of the late development of the n/rship is ci ven bv Major C. C. Turner in too London Ohxerrer. in a description of th” TL .‘ ( 8. a Britishbuilt ship which has been sold to the United States.

TUis huge vessel (Major Turner remarks) has a gas capacity of 2.700.000 cubic leet, as against the 2.100,000 cubic feet of th» R 36, and has nn estimated cruising radius, at sixty miles per hour air speed, of no fewe-- than 111 hours. That means about 6500 miles non-stop! Tn the region of the trade winds such a vessel could make the complete circuit of the globe in three runs, and accomplish it in fewer than twenty days. The R3B is 635 feet in length, and has a gross lift of about 85 tons, and a net lift of about 4,5 tons. She lias an important superiority over her predecessors in tho matter of cruising speed, being aliout eight, miles uer hour faste”. This is progress in Ihe most imuortnni direction of all.

Some experts arc of opinion that airship services, once established, might soon be conducted on a selfsupporting commercial basis. Mb. A. H. Ashbolt, promoter of one of the schemes which is now ba’.ng considered by the British Air Ministry, is quoted in a cablegram to-day as stalling that Government assistance would be necessary over a period of ten years. More light will no doubt be cast on these financial aspects when the Imperial Conference, comntotes its present deliberations on tho subject. In anv case it is clear that as a factor in Empire communications the airship ' holds tremendous possibilities. It is estimated that the existing British airships would cover long distance

journeys in approximately one-third of the time taken by fast mail steamers. From the commercial standpoint’ this saving in time would offset considerably higher fares and rates on mails and express freight than are charged for transport by land and sea. It has to be considered also that swift airship services, like improved wireless communications, have a very important bearing on ths problems of Imperial political organisation. If airship transport were available, the Prime Minister of New Zealand would be able to travel to London, confer at leisure with his Imperial colleagues, and return to the Dominion, all within the space of a month. A transport service which offers in its early infancy such, an improvement on existing facilities oortg.inlv ought to be developed with enterprise.