NEW ZEALAND WIRELESS INSTAU LATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1064, 1 March 1911, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND WIRELESS INSTAU LATIONS.

Sir,—ln perusing, the correspondence ami various articles which have apfcarw m your columns from time to time, X noticed the emphasised statement of one of your correspondents that it would 1)9 a tactical mistake to instal the Gerinaa national system of wireless telegraphy, or as a matter of fact, any foreign system which might Ik used by possible adversaries, in preference (o the, system adopted by the imperial Government for its naval and military services. ] understand that the particular difference between the Teiefunkcn and Marconi ■Systems is a sound which the operator receives, the two systems having distinctly different notes, or sounds. To show that it is quite possible for misleading and unauthorised messages to be sent by installations operating a system usiiiga -similar note to that installed for the .New Zealand services, ths origin of such messages not being distinguishable Ijy the operators at the receiving station, it is only necessary to refer to the reports of the experiments now being carried out by the Departmental officers with tho wireless apparatus Bt the Wellingron Post Oilier , . ,1 refer to a statement published in (he local press on February 20 last, m which we read:—

One of tho messages, intercepted came from the direction of Australia, ' but its terms rendered it improbable that it was sent from the I'liniaroa. fnounh the note was similar to that of the Teiefunkcn system, the mes- ■ fiags probably originated from a station at Sydney, and may have been intended for a vessel' approaching: hydney— from Vancouver, in , possibly tho German mail liuor" Barbarossa. , In the lime of hostilities, can' vou tell mo how the. New Zealand stations and shipping are-going to distinguish,whether in;\-sages. sent out originate from the Australian stations and shipping or vico versa, if ■■ equipped, with the TcMunken note, from any messages which may bo designedly sent out from a German or any other fiireign warship equipped with the same note? 1 contend, without displaying any sympathy for cither tho Alarconi or the Telcfunken system, that this point .should be thoroughly investigated by our naval and military authorities before any system is' installed 'differing from the system adop'.ed by the British Navy, so that it may be 'clearly proved that no disadvantage can arise which may materially affect the defences of our country should- hostilities unfortunately break out.

It must- be apparent to tho veriest layman that if the New Zealand and Australian stations and intercolonial steamers are equipped will! (he tamo system of wireless as the Gorman Navy, 'it would be possible for German warships in these waters to siml misleading messages to tho shore stations as well as to our shipping, and we might wake m> one (ino morning to find tho enemy's fleet in our harbours wilhont ;i .sound from their wireless equipment having been distinguished, whereas if our stations and shipping li-.ul -the same wireless as British ships we could easily tell when a foreign warship cam? within n thousand miles of the coast, if it sent out any wireless communications, whatsoever, either for its own. special purposes or for tho purnoso of misleading our own shipping. There must c.lso be tome important advantage, too, in keeping secret tho details' of wireless enuinments used for defence purposes, otherwise, why do tho British and German naval, and.'military authorities mako such a point of maintaining secrecy in connection with their wireless,operations and experiments? ]ii view of tho great difference in tho power recommended by the exports of tho competing .systems, as- well as in price, there will no doubt bn equal difference in the nature o> , the plant each tenderer proposed to furnish for tho work required.' Would it. be too much to ask for some definite information on these mailers; also, in what part of the world the Tclcfunken Company lias established and maintained similar communication to that called for by the New Zealand Government, and also where there aro any power plan , .:; similar to those offered and actually in operation? 1 might add in conclusion that I am not asking for this information out of curiosity, or as one having the slightest interest in any whvlrss system, but purely in the interests of the' future welfare of the country.-1 am, etc., K. T. TURNBULL