ALL-BRITISH CABLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 11 July 1925, Page 10

ALL-BRITISH CABLES.

■ ..■■.- \._y.Ltm —. NEEDED FOR STRATEGIC REASONS. ,> . ... ." ~ . LONDON, May 29. , -Is there.any real need for all-British cables? The was;.asked and answered this week by Sir Charles Bright. ..at a ..meeting,.,., of the Grotins. Club.' Sir Charles is, 'of course,- the greatest living authority on submarine cables.' He''was emphatic-'-ih declaring the 'position to-be unsatisfactory with regard to' cables in respect of international law. : '-"■ j He saifi there had never been' much hesitation on the part of'belligerents to interrupt any cable if <tliey- could. He j Had,. therefore, always maintained thej desirability of J a system of cables connecting the British Empire by indepen-1 dent means—i.e., vv'ithout'touching on., foreign soil. "'• - ' '■ . - "When the : bombardment' of Alexandria began tlie cables were immediately | eUt'-by the Egyptians, thus confining i British' communication to tlie lahJ lines. Again, some years ago, when political tension existed with Russia, all the Cables which united Australasia with the .rest of the world were interrupted. This' caused great uneasiness in Australia', . and lted to the 'mobilisation of the troops stationed; there, the manning of [batteries,' and 'the putting in active commission of the Australian defence •hips. Messages passing through cables touching foreign . territory 'were insecure, he went on.. If the cable landed on enemy soil the message was stopped or read', all codes being decipherable, and.if on j neutral soil it ran the chance'of firidirtg its way to. the enemy.' Unless a.strict neutralisation of : cables became the order of the day, urider the League of Nations or. .. otherwise) all countries should, if only for strategic reasons, have' established for themsehres ; many more cables on a variety of routes,'well clear of foreign soil. They . should be supplemented by wireless, which -was already in use as a feeder-to the cable systems ._.,.... It was a.great mistake,-to .suppose in looking at the development of-.radio that cable telegraphy ; had reachec? finality. Just recently further Atlantic cables had been laid of a.much improved pattern from the electrical - - pdint of view,- which, afforded far greater speed of transmission than before. Similar, lines were being * laid elsewhere. It would be unwise to rely son*, any 'wireless chains as a .sole means of. far-reaching! communication, owing.to.lack.of secrecy, j dependence on atmospheric conditions, and " the' vulnerability of; 'wireless antennae. • - .>..'•--.—