(Published by Arrangement)

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 8

(Published by Arrangement)

CABLE AND WIRELESS, LTD

WAR-TIME PROBLEMS

A review of the wartime problems Wireless LtoV.together With the company's activities and expansion was given by the Chair man (Sir Edward Wilshaw, K.C.M.G.), at "he 16th annual general meeting in London.

The Chairman said: — «The company's first duty has been to maintain both cable and wireless communications, this nas been no easy task, and never has fhe en str n a o te g ic value of our cables been more heavily taxed. In May, lasi, ™ central telegraph station in Moorgate, London, with much valuable equipment, was destroyed by fire caused by enemy action. Later in Tulv 1944, we received a direct nu from a flying bomb on our new office in Electra House, Victoria Embankment, but.in spite of the damage all our overseas telegraph circuits were working within twenty minutes of the incident. Almost the same tale could be told about our other offices in London and the Provinces; many of them sustained damage but the service was maintained. Abroad, too, many of our stations were subjected to siege and bombardment, and several fell into enemy hands. Throughout the long siege- of Malta cable communication was maintained witn Egypt and beyond. In Gibraltar, the staff worked underground in specially constructed chambers in the rock, and another vast underground office was constructed at our vulnerable cable-head at Porthcurno, Cornwall.

Cables Cut West of Malta

"It was not only at our stations that we faced enemy attack. On Italy's entry into the war, all the cables west of Malta were cut by the Italians. In the Far East the Japanese, on their entry into the war, overran all our cable and wireless stations in that area, including, of course, Singapore. The West African route to Capetown then had to carry a large share of the traffic thus necessarily diverted, while the long route via the Atlantic, Canada and the Pacific was called in to relieve the strain.

"Our fleet of cable ships, protected by the Royal Navy, was almost continuously at sea in their never-ending and hazardous task of repairing cables. They were also invaluable in carrying out defence measures for the Admiralty and for their work in destroying the enemy's cable communications and diverting his cables to Allied use.

" The wireless installations set up at vulnerable points in the Colonial Empire have played a valuable part in maintaining communications; 47 new wireless circuits have been opened since September, 1939. Developments

" Our photo-telegraph services have been expanded, until we • are now handling as many as 2000 pictures a month compared with 100 before the war. Many technical developments have been introduced during the war, resulting in the expediting of transmission and delivery of messages. We have also opened four relay stations to overcome the fading of the wireless beam and to help towards providing a continuous 24-hour wireless service,, principally to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We have been instrumental in.setting up cable stations at Casablanca, Algiers, Bizerta, Tunis, Syracuse, Brindisi, Bari, Naples, Rome, Anzio, Safaga, Massawa and certain places in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Wireless stations have also been erected and operated in some of these places. In addition, we have sent mobile wireless stations up with the Eighth Army in their advance through Italy.

Post-War Developments

" Press traffic shows little sign of declining, even though Germany is beaten, and we regard it as one of our most important duties to help the newspapers of the world to give their readers the fullest information at the lowest possible rates. The Company, knowing that the rebuilding of Britain's export trade is vital to the country's future, is prepared to offer its utmost co-operation towards the restoration of Britain's overseas markets.

" We plan to offer British business men and their overseas confreres'an even better service than before the war.

"The policy of helping the common man and woman will be resumed the moment peace, by reducing essential war traffic, enables us to offer greater facilities for social telegrams.

"During the war the charges for telegrams over many of our circuits have been reduced; indeed, we may claim with justice, to be the only public service, whether under private or public management, which has not only not increased its charges but has actually reduced them. Progressive lowering of rates has been the policy of this company and its predecessors since the inception of the telegraph services, and we aim to continue that policy in the post-war years.

Policy and the Future

" It will not have escaped notice that discussions have been taking place regarding the future of Imperial telecommunications. It is too early for me to make any pronouncement on this subject, and I would only say that experience, particularly during the war, has shown that the present system offers the merits of Government, control without its disabilities, ensuring that the public services are faithfully performed under the vigorous and imaginative direction of private enterprise. If left to our own resources and given reasonable encouragement and goodwill by the Government, we, and our associated companies overseas, can continue to keep abreast of developments and to offer cheaper and extended telegraph services' without adding to the taxpayer's burden."