The New Zealand Times TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1927. IMPERIAL COMMUNICATIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 12651, 11 January 1927, Page 6

The New Zealand Times TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1927. IMPERIAL COMMUNICATIONS

Prompt comunication was declared by the Imperial Conference to be the one thing wanting to the perfection of the discussion at critical moments. That want is on the road to satisfactory supply. New York and London now communicate by wireless telephony across the Atlantic. It is personal talk by word of mouth, without possibility of misunderstanding of any sort. The Conference undertook to establish coniplete frankness of discussion on all Imperial topics between the Dominions and the Imperial centre, giving full knowledge all round. There was one exception. It was recognised that in sudden emergencies satisfactory communication would be wanting, and in these the Dominions practically agreed to stand by the decision of the British Government. In other words, the unity of the Empire was to stand any test, no matter how hard; the danger of misunderstanding being reduced to the minimum by the constant working of the established system of guaranteed full knowledge. When long-distance wireless communication is perfected, that gap in the Imperial system will be bridged. That the system will shortly be extended to cross all the Imperial distances is certain. Obviously there can he no insuperable difficulty in doing over any of these distances that which is done so easily over 2000 miles.

The cost is heavy, not less than £$ a minute. A critical discussion may cost thousands of pounds. But what is that to the cost of war or of warlike opera tions ? Moreover, Governments can install telephonic systems of their own; and that would diminish the cost, while entirely abolishing the overcrowding by many users of the wireless telephone system. The only drawback is the liability to disturbance. This is of two kinds; the disturbance whose object is to destroy communication by confusion, and the disturbance by interception of listening, both being very likely to be tried by prospective enemies at critical moments. One of these would destroy the boon of prompt Imperial discussion, the other would present Imperial secrets to the prospective enemy. The experts declare that adequate protection against such disturbances presents no technical difficulty. We trust they are right. But until that protection is assured, the prompt communication now established will face a serious disadvantage. How this protection can be established is a matter for the experts. But the case is of such vital Imperial importance that it ought to have the immediate attention of all the Governments of the Empire.