LATEST POLITICAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10926, 15 November 1913, Page 4

LATEST POLITICAL.

ALL RED CABLE. THE ATLANTIC LINK. (By Telegraph—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, November 15. The latest official English declaration against a State-owned cable across tho Atlantio from Canada to the United Kingdom drew a protest from tho leader of the Opposition last night. Sir Joseph Ward remarked that he would not say the judgment of the Homo authorities was wrong, but the oversea portions of the Empire, regarding the laying of the Pacifio cable to Canada as only a portion of the cable between Australia and the Old .Country until tho State link across the Atlantic was completed, the oversea countries would not regard ,it as satisfactory. He hoped tho Postmaster-General would make the strongest representations on the subject. Only a few years ago Canada, Australia and New Zealand would have joined to have completed the Imperial cable, but for tho fact that it was thought not a nice thing to leave out the Mother Country from the arrangement. . . • ■ The Hon R. H. Rhodes said be was with tho leader of the Opposition in the opinion that they should havo a Stateiwned cable, and had made representations on the subject to other States and the Pacific Cable Board. He did not mean to allow the matter to drop, aud ho' thoroughly realised the importance to tho dominion of a Stateowned cable, although he recognised certain factors which might tend to stand in the way of State ownership at the present time. Canada, for instance, seemed to be less enthusiastic over tho idea than formerly owing to the proposal in that country for a wireless system of communication with the Mother Country.