THE PRINCE OF WALES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 32, 30 April 1927, Page 7

THE PRINCE OF WALES

SPEECH TO ENGINEERS. TALKING ACROSS ATLANTIC. The Prince of Wales was the guest of honour at the annual dinner at the Hotel Cecil, of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Proposing the toast of the institution in a characteristic speech, the Prince said: — “I have a very great debt of gratitude which I owe to all of you electrical engineers. Last year, when I was president of the British Association, I had to deliver a lengthy address. “At the end Lord Balfour expressed the hope that my year of office would be marked by some striking scientific achievement. This hope was received with great enthusiasm, and everybody looked at me until I began to feel that it was up to me. “Well, the months went by, and nothing seemed to hrppen—(laugh er) — untif I began to feel that this great presidential year which I had taken on was doomed to failure. “Then came the announcement that, as a result of the labours of electrical experts in this country and i:a the United States, the Atlantic had been finally bridged by wireless telephony, and to-day anybody in Great Britain can—at a price—(laughter)—call u.i any-* body in America when ever he cares. “It is now possible for a New Yorker about lunch-time, to talk to a Londoner about dinner-time, and there is nothing whatever to indicate they are not in the same town except the hill —(laughter) —which one of them will subsequently get. “Scientists might differ as to whether it was time for luncheon or time for dinner; it was, anyway, time for a cocktail.” (Lauchte”)