MESSAGES BY CABLE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 94, 15 January 1926, Page 3

MESSAGES BY CABLE

z ——♦ CODE WORD DIFFICULTIES LIMITATION OF LETTERS PROPOSED NEW ZEALAND AFFECTED According to advice which has reached the Post and Telegraph Department, „ steps are being taken on an international basis to remedy ’the difficulties which have arisen through failure to observe the regulations governing the formation of code words, and to ascertain whether code words should not be limited to five letters instead of ten as at present. This movement is the upshot of the recent conference of the International Telegraph Union at Paris, at which the Dominion was represented.

All the important countries of the world belong to. the International Telegraph Union in order to obtain uniformity in terminal and transit rates, in procedure, in making adjustments, mid to facilitate inquiries ot a varied nature. The last conference was held at Lisbon (Portugal) in 1908, but the | holding of the next gathering was prevented through the outbreak of the Great War. In 1918, after hostilities had ceased, negotiations were commenced with a view to holding . the conference, but owing to various difficulties which arose in connection with such subjects as control of cables in wartime, it was not until early in 1921 that a final decision was arrived at to hold the convention in Paris early in 1925. The range of subjects discussed at an international conference of this character include not only cable rates, but pro- . cedure generally, such as the counting of words, make up and counting of code and cypher words, placing accounting arrangements between the various administrations on a uniform basis, and arriving at a mutual understanding on inter-State tek-phoning. To take an example: In the case of a full-rate cable message from Wellington to ono of tho South American republics, via Eastern, New Zealand would get a penny a word only out of the amount collected from the ' sender. ' The remainder would be divided between the Commonwealth ot Australia, - the Eastern Extension lelegraph Company, which would carry the cable through its lines from Australia to the Atlantic, and then whichever company owned the cable between the Eastern Company’s terminal in the Atlantic and the South American const; and, finally, the country of destination would receive its terminal rates on tne message. The procedure is .that every | rate collected from the public, whether it is one Shilling, two s nlhugs or five shillings per word. is divided between the varous administrations concerned. When the decision -to hold the conference at Paris in 1925 was arrived at, the International Bureau at Berne (Switzerland), which is the central otfice for the International telegraph Union invited all the administrations, including New Zealand, to forward their proposals for submission to the convention.- After all the proposals had reached the authorities at Borne they were printed and. a copy was dispatched to each administration to give the delegates an opportunity of making themselves conversant with the subjects to bo brought up for consideration. The conference was duly held at Paris in September and October last, New Zealand’s representative being Major J.'. E. Bonne, who was formerly a member of the staff of the High Commissioner for Now Zealand in London. A comprehensive report of the proceedings has not vet come to hand, but the authorities in Wellington anticipate its arrival at an early date. Certain information, however, has reached the Secretary of the G.P.O. It relates to a lino of action the convention decided to investigate in connection with the question of the composition of code words. The communication is as un-

dor: — "The conference examined with particular care tho regulation prescriptions concerning code language which is used very extensively in the wording of international telegrams. .It is ascertained that a largo number of the telegraph codes from which are taken the words forming this language do not comply with the prescriptions imposed. "The conference, having learned that this state of affairs leads to serious difficulties both for administrations and the public, and that it is. advisable to remedy the difficulties with as little I delay 'as possible, set up a committee to deal with the question. “This special committee will have to consider, among the various solutions that will be presented, particularly that consisting of the limitation of five letters of the length admitted for each word of code language, without other condition or restriction. The reform should not however, from tho point of view of the cost of telegrams, have the effect of imposing on patrons high, er financial charges than .those which result from tho application under the present regime, of the tates fixed by the Paris conference.” In explanation of tho position generally, a Dominion reporter was informed yesterday that the present international regulation governing the formation of code words is to the effect that each syllable must be pronouncible in one of the authorised languages, which include English, French, German and seven or eight of the other principal languages of the world. It is well known that for many years, "makers of codes” had not adhered to the international regulation. On the one hand, many of trie codes used consisted chiefly of consonants. If vowels were inserted judiciously it would bo seen that any syllable containing consonants and vowels was easily pronouncible; but, on tho other hand, if words consisted wholly of consonants, they certainly were not pronouncible. the International Conference had discussed the problem, but instead of giving a decision appointed a special committee to obtain information on the subject from all the administrations, and a meeting had been fixed f<V' March next, when.a decision would be drafted. The committee had sent out numerous questions to be replied to, and had requested that the matter of the formation of code words be submitted to chambers of commerce; and also that tlie views of the public and commercial people should bo conveyed to the Select Committee, along with tho New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department’s views. It was explained that in addition to the International Telegraph Union there is in existence an International T'adio Telegraph Union, the last conference of which was held at London in 1912. A few years ago it was hoped to effect a combination of tho two bodies, but nothing materialised. The next International Radio Telegraph Union conference will'be hold in Wiisliingtoii some time this year, and, with the day-to-day change in radio practice, and the remarkable improvements that have been effected, tho present international radio telegraph regulations, it is ant>cipalc< will bo very materially, altered. Ar rangements 'regarding wireless on ships will be ono of tho topics discussed.