CONQUEST OF DISTANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 133, 2 December 1935, Page 10

CONQUEST OF DISTANCE

The remarkable success of the experiment in a multilateral radiotelephonic conversation between the managing director of a firm in Britain and its representatives in different parts of the world, including New Zealand, described in "The Post" on Saturday, illustrates one more triumph in the conquest of distance. What an immense boon to businesses with world-wide connections, and, indeed, to business generally, the possibilities of such a system afford is almost self-evident. It brings the world within the compass of the round-table talk which has proved so effective in the solution of difficulties often almost insuperable under the old conditions of protracted correspondence, even when expedited by the cable. It gives scope for that touch of nature in the human voice that "makes a whole world kin" and robs isolation of most of its drawbacks. If these" many-sided telephone talks are so successful with private business, there is no reason why the system should not be applied to the conduct of political discussions. We are not sure at the moment whether the rest of the world can listen in on these conversations, but no doubt the ingenuity which can bring people all over the globe into oral touch with one another can also, if desired, keep their conversation confidential.

A country like New Zealand owes an especial debt of gratitude for the intellectual service to the community rendered by the combined effort of many brains in overcoming, in different ways, the barriers of distance. In the British Empire New Zealand stands'as the ancient Britons themselves did in the Roman Empire, a whole world away from the centre of things, as they were described, but now the aeroplane brings mail in half the time formerly taken by steamer, and soon passengers, too, will be flying over the leagues of ocean in as few days as the voyage by water takes weeks. Thus, the remotest countries come within the ambit of swift communications, and in a score of ways the circulation of ideas and thoughts and news is accelerated and invigorated, and the opportunities for misunderstandings and misconceptions correspondingly lessened. In this light the success of Saturday's world-wide talk may be regarded as another instrument of peace and good.will, appropriate in the Christmas season soon to be with us.