’PHONE WONDERS

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 191, 21 August 1935, Page 3

’PHONE WONDERS

GENEVA’S MANY CALLS

GIRL LINGUISTS

GENEVA, March 1

The resumption of disarmament discussions at Geneva has set in motion once agaiw one of the most remarkable organisations in -modern political interchanges —the League telephone service. For example, in the daytime in normal weeks there are on an average 700 outgoing calls to Paris and 387 incoming calls. Im periods of great activity these figures bound to 1000 outgoing and 686 incoming. These totals are all the moire remarkable when it is remembered that the French Government have a private line linking up the Quai d’Orsay with their delegation in> Geneva. At times of pressure there are 320 calls firom Geneva to London in the daytime and 150 in the evening hours. It often happens that the British delegation keep an open line to the Foreign Office in Whitehall. A German Contrast Before Germany left the League it was not uncommon for 1000 calls to pass between Geneva and Berlin in the course of a day. Now the total has shrunk to about 175.

Even Rome, with its restricted number of newspapers, takes 250 calls a day during busy periods.

All the cables out from Geneva are “buried.” This accounts for the clear communication for which the League switchboard is famous all over the Continent.

The number of lines to each capital varies. There are three direct to London, but these can be supplemented at busy moments by bringing into temporary service four lines via Zui ich and two via Basle.

There are eight direct lines to Paris, in addition to the private Government lines to the Quai d’Orsay and the French Ministry of War. Six lines serve Berlin. There is one each for Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, five for Vienna, two for Warsaw and for Budapest, and a number to Moscow via Berlin and Warsaw.

The Operators are all young and specially selected girls who are paid £6 a week. Each) one must speak fluently the three national languages of Switzerland —French, German and Italian. Moreover, nearly all those who operate a switchboard at; the League itself have a reasonable command of English.