WIRELESS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17749, 28 April 1923, Page 13

WIRELESS.

♦- IMPERIAL CHAIN. THE GOVERNMENTS PLANS. (BY CABLE—{'BBSS ASSOCIATION'—COPTMGHT.I (AUSTRALIA* AND X.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON. April 26. In an interview in the "Morning l'ost," Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Postmastor-Ooneral. denied that tu< policy of the Post Office in regard W Empire wireless was in any respect dilatory. There had fheeii delays, he said, but they had nothing to do with the Post Office, which had to tear tho sins of successive Governments whoso wirelesi policy was by no means consistent. The failure to proceed with the scheme of 1919 was partly duo to the desire of tho Dominions to have more . dir.-ct communication and partly to financial stringency. Experts accordingly had reconsidered the problem, and in view* of tho development of the high powor thermionic valve, they had prepared plans for a British station, double tbo size of tho one originally contemplated', and capable of direct communication with Australia, India and South Africa. The Post Office had immediately prepared detailed specifications. Orders should have been placed long ago if the new Government had not desired to consider the whole question afresh. Only last month, the Post Office had received orders to proceed with the • British station. Orders had Jjgen placed for masts 820 feet high, and the work of construction would be proceeded with as quickly as possible "I decided to make the power even greater than the planning Commission proposed last year,'' said Sir William. u "The stations will be second to none in the world. In the meanwhile the Post Office is operating stations at Oxford and Cairo. If. tuey had not been completed, the substantial expenditure. incurred would have been wasted.. It is true that the station at Cairo is not pacing its way. We never expected it would, but it is a valuable link in com. munication with the East. The Oxford station is paying all expense* and dealing with. 80,000 paid words weekly, and tho Press service is superior tp any service of its kind in the world.

"Cabinet has decided that private enterprise will not bo debarred from providing wireless communication between the Mother Country and her Dominions, but licenses have not yet been issued, as the Marconi Company desired closer knowledge of the Government's policy, and their counter-propo-Bals are now receiving the Government's consideration."

Mr Godfrey Isaacs, managing director of Marconi's Wireless Company, commenting on the interview, stated: "Sir William, on taking oifioe, lost no time in conferring with us upon the future working of hign power wireless stations. The questious which we considered and the proposals which we made to him have considerable importance, and naturally require careful Government consideration, but I believo Sir William Joynson-Hicks will quickly come to a decision. The proposals are of a nature to ensure the closest cooperation- between PQst Office stations, and that we shall effect, with a view of making Britain the centre of the finest scheme of wona-wide wireless communications."