CABLES OVERSEAS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 60, 8 September 1914, Page 8

CABLES OVERSEAS

COMMUNICATION WITH OLD WORLD. AMPLE PROVISION. Though the cutting of the Pacific cable (reported on page 7) will cause some inconvenience, especially to the Government, the temporary loss of this link Avill not be severely felt. Any delay with business will.be chiefly in the tiaffic with America. As for communication with Europe, there is ample provision with the Eastern Extension Company's cables. A double line connects Wellington with Sydney, and Auckland is also joined directly' with Sydney. One of tho outward lines from .Sydney runs via Fremantle to Cocos Island, from which one cable goes through Huoz and the Mediterranean and another passes through Capetown and the Atlantic. Bioomc (north-west Australia) and Port Darwin (double line) are linked up to Singapore, from which the transmission is through Madras and Bombay and on to Aden, Suez, and the Mediterranean. A glance at the Eastern Company's map should relieve any anxiety as to possible complete interruption of speecli with Europe. Such a "cut-off" would need a Germai masterj of the seas. Before the outbreak of war the great bulk of the press messages came via Pacific — an enterprise in which the Australasian Governments have a share — but during the past month the Eastern routes have also been used. The rule at the London end has been to use the Eastern sjstem whenever the Pacitic line was well loaded. Much of the private business from New Zealand has been done on the Pacific cable. If a message is put in with no instruction .as to route, it is sent via Pacific } the State naturally caters for the State line — and as the majority of people do not stipulate a particular route, the Pacitic cable has correspondingly benefited. The diversion, of all business to the Eastern lines may mean delay, in some cases (principally with messages to and from America), but the company has equipment to meet a heavy demand. All Government business was done by the Pacific, and the various State shareholders have enjoyed a measure of precedence. There is another cable through the Pacific (one owned in America). It goes from San> Francisco to the Philippines and China, and connects at, a point in Java with an eastern system, which serves Australia. DISCONNECTION AT SUVA (BT TELEGRAPH— PHESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, This Day. No communications were received via the Pacific cable to-day. The superintendent (Mr. Hertslett) states that the Government or Admiralty, for an unexplained reasoh,' instructed the cable to be disconnected at Suva. Mr. Hertslett has received no further statement. Possibly tho act was a precautionary measure to prcven't tho enemy tapping the cable on account of the cable having been cut beyond Suva. The Pacific Board's repairing steamer Iris was due to arrive at Suva from Vancouver to-day.