ALL BRITISH CABLES

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1925, Page 1

ALL BRITISH CABLES

NEEDED HOI! STRATEGIC REASONS.

LONDON, May 2D. Is there any real need for all-British cables!-' The question was asked and answered this week by Sir Charles Bright at a meeting of the Grolius Ctilb. Sir Charles is, of course, the greatest living authority on submarine (•aides. He was emphatic iii declaring the position to be unsatisfactory with regard to cables in respect ol international law.

lie said there had never liecn much hesitation on the part of belligerents to interrupt any cable if they could, tie had, therefore, always maintained the desirability of a system of cables connecting the British Empire by independent means—i.e.. without, touch-

mg on foreign soil. When the bombardment ol Alexandria began the cables were immediately cut by the Egyptians. thus routining British communication to the land lines. Again, some years ago., when political tension existed with Russia, all the caldes width united Australasia with the rest of the world were interrupted. This caused great uneasiness in Australia, and led to the mobilisation of the troops stationed there, the manning of batteries, and the putting iti active commission of the Australian defence ships. .Messages passing through cables touching foreign territory were insecure. lie went on. If the cable landed oil enemy soil tin* message was .stopped or read, all codes being decipherable, and if on neutral soil it ran the chance of finding its wav to the enemy. t’nless a strict neutralisation of cables became the order of the day, under the League of Nations or otherwise, all countries .should, if only for strategic reasons, have established ler themselves many more cables on a • arioly of routes, well clear of foreign sell. They should lie supplemented by wireless, which was already in use i s a feeder Lo the cable systems. It was a great mistake to suppose in looking at the devcbipiiv'til of radio that cable telegraphy had reached finality. Just recently further Atlantic cables had been laid of a much-im-proved pattern from the electrical point of view, which afforded far greater sliced of transmission than before. Similar lines were being laid elsewhere. It would tie unwise to rely on any wireless chains ns a sole means of farreaching communication, owing to lack of secrecy, depedence on atmospheric conditions, and the vulnerability of wireless antennae.