F.—B.

An occasional speech at a social or other gathering in London, or in any other city, is entirely inadequate in view of the immensely important purposes to be achieved. The Imperial penny post is undoubtedly an inestimable boon, but, valuable as it is as a means of drawing our people around the world closer to each other, it is quite inadequate as a speedy means of communication between countries separated by the earth's semi-circumference, or any considerable portion thereof. What the circumstances require and demand to-day is a fully organized public service, having at command a complete system of connected cables girdling the globe; an electric circle forming an instantaneous means of communication by which the millions may be reached daily, or at least frequently, in each and every self-governing British community in both hemispheres; obviously such a service would exert an enormous influence in advancing the interests and in unifying the aims and aspirations of each of those communities. I have indicated in these few words the ideal means of mutual information which it is desirable to secure. It has, for want of a better name, been designated an " Imperial Intelligence Service." The question before us is, Can such a service be attained? The Canadian Parliament has furnished the reply in the documents printed and issued by the King's Printer.* One of these documents is a letter to the Earl of Elgin, in which will be found suggestions respecting the creation of an Imperial Intelligence Department, established in the common interests and especially for the benefit of the many, a widespread organization, coextensive with the Empire, dedicated to the acquisition, collection, transmission by cable, and publication in a free-handed manner, of intelligence on any subject of general interest, for the information and education of the British people of every class in every quarter of the globe. If you will permit me, I shall read a few sentences from this letter to Lord Elgin on the free exchange of Empire news (page 9): — " In addition to a Central Board in the British metropolis, there should be local Boards and agencies in each self-governing community, where desired information would be acquired. It would be the duty of each Board to take proper means to arrange and edit the information for free transmission" by cable to the other Boards, and by them made available for simultaneous publication in the daily or weekly journals in all the great cities of the Empire. "By this means the people of the whole Empire would be brought into continuous touch. Each person, on opening his daily newspaper, would look into the column or columns under the heading ' Empire Cable News ' for the Imperial intelligence of the day, and would there find a trustworthy record of the matters of most vital importance and interest to every British community. " No argument is needed to point out the advantages which would spring from such an agency. It is impossible to conceive any other means which would so speedily and so effectively enlighten the masses of British people on all matters which concern their common welfare. By the term 'British people' I do not mean the inhabitants of the United Kingdom alone; I include the British people in other portions of the globe—in India, and in the several self-governing communities steadily growing into populous and prosperous States. Even small portions of such Empire news regularly furnished daily in the local newspapers would be a thousand times better than the almost entire absence of such intelligence which now generally obtains. It undoubtedly would have a powerful educative influence, and the high political effect would be to foster a broad Imperial patriotism. It would open to the intelligence of all our people within the circle of the ' Empire cables ' wider issues connected with the advancement and development of the Imperial fabric- we are warranted in believing that it would stimulate the sense of common citizenship, and in'time lead to a reciprocal affinity eventually approaching a general unity of ideas. "The machinery of a fully equipped Intelligence Department once provided, we may then with confidence assume that the better union and the collective prosperity of the British Empire ' may be wisely left to develop in accordance with circumstances, and, as it were, of their own "I share very fully with every one with whom I have conferred the opinion that satisfactory results must reasonably be expected to follow the establishment of a wisely arranged Intelligence Department. The Imperial Press service suggested would tell its story and perform its functions, not once, not intermittently, but daily throughout every year. It would, like the continual dropping of water, produce effective results. By means of this perennial flow we may confidently hope to have the spirit and principles of the British Constitution in course of time pervading, invigorating, vivifying the whole Empire, and it is this spirit and these principles, inherited from the centuries, which would beget that sympathy and affection which, although as light as the air we breathe, would constitute the cohesive forces to bind together the Empire under the one flag and sovereign as with bonds of steel." The proposed Imperial Intelligence Service, uniting the several British possessions mentioned, requires as a necessity the nationalisation of (1) a land telegraph-line through Canada, (2) and (3) of cables traversing the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans, all of which, together with the already established Pacific cable, would form an electric girdle around the globe touching only British soil and wholly State-owned. This is an indispensable preliminary to the great scheme of an Imperial Intelligence Service, the name of which does not really convey its full meaning and in some respects is misleading; but, whatever the name, the proposed organization is believed to be a movement of the very first importance and full of promise. It would cost an estimated £5 000 000 a sum which, when divided into equitable proportions between the United Kingdom. Canada New Zealand, Australia,. South Africa, the East and West Indies, would prove but a light burden on each. Moreover, it is contemplated that all working-expenses would be fully met by earnings derived from " paying traffic." A few hours in each twenty-four would suffice for the

♦To be obtained, free of charge, on application to the Secretary of the "Eighty Club," 3 Hare Court, Temple, London, E.C.

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