ALL-BRITISH CABLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 98, 15 June 1911, Page 4

ALL-BRITISH CABLE.

At a recent meeting of the members of tne itoyal Colonial Institute, Mr. Charles Bright put forward some strong arguments in favour of an AllBritish cable service between the different sections of the Empire, whereby each constituent part could at all times communicate freely and secretly with every other. Omitting technical ai,ul financial questions, the lecturer pointed out how highly desirable cheaper Imperial telegraphy was at the present time for developing in-ter-imperial relations, socially, politically,. and commercially. A great advance would be made if an allround Imperial cable tariff were fixed; while special rates for messages to bo sent within twenty-four hours, thus turning to profitable account periods when business was now slack, would greatly stimulate telegraphic traffic, and render possible the institution of a full Imperial news service on an economic oasis. From the strategic point of view there was every justification for the lines of communication to be State owned or controlled, though cables to foreign countries were best left to private enterprise. In this connection Mr. Bright drew attention to the danger of an enormous American trust in the Atlantic service. Something might be done if the Government, when granting landing rights, stipulated for favourable condition on behalf of the public. An independent and more or less invulnerable connecting link, free from American influence, should he established between the Mother Country and Canada, supplemented by a really satisfactory land line across the Dominion at some distance from the frontier.