TRANSATLANTIC TELEPHONE CABLE — ^AFFEL 285 



As noted previously, shortly before World War II, representatives 

 of the Post Office brought polyethylene (polythene) , a British develop- 

 ment of the Imperial Chemical Industries, to the attention of the Bell 

 Telephone Laboratories. On test, it has proved to have characteristics 

 that make it superior to other insulating materials, including para- 

 gutta, which had been used earlier on some cables. It is particularly 

 adapted for insulation where high frequencies are employed because of 

 its low high-frequency losses. It is also more uniform in its character- 

 istics and less pervious to sea water. 



DECISION ON TRANSATLANTIC TELEPHONE CABLE PROJECT 



In 1950 the American group, after some previous shorter deep-sea 

 trials, completed the laying of two Key West-Havana cables (i. e., for 

 going and return circuits), each containing three repeaters having the 

 flexible structure previously discussed. These were laid in order to 

 meet service needs for growing United States-Cuba telephone traffic, 

 but, at the same time, the installation was made quite similar to that 

 which would be employed in a possible transatlantic crossing. The 

 maximum depth of water involved is of the order of 1 mile, rather 

 than approaching 3 miles for tlie transatlantic crossing. 



Early in 1952, President Cleo F. Craig of the American Telephone 

 and Telegraph Co. appointed a committee to report on the feasibility 

 of a transatlantic telephone cable. Following a favorable report by 

 this committee, negotiations were opened between the American Tele- 

 phone and Telegraph Co. and the British Post Office on such a project. 

 In August 1952, George L. Best, vice president, and William G. 

 Thompson, assistant vice president, of the American Telephone and 

 Telegraph Co., went to T^ondon for a prearranged consideration of the 

 matter with British Post Office officials, including Earl De La Warr, 

 then Postmaster General ; Sir Alexander Little, Director General of 

 the Post Office ; Sir Ben Barnett, Deputy Director General, and their 

 associates. The ensuing discussions served to lay a broad foundation 

 for the project which had also been on the minds of the British officials 

 for some time. The types of facilities to be used were left for the 

 technical organizations of the British Post Office and the Bell Tele- 

 phone Laboratories to consider and agree upon. 



Subsequently, Dr. Mervin J. Kelly, president of the Bell Telephone 

 Laboratories, and Sir W. Gordon Radley, then engineer-in-chief of 

 the British Post Office, reported jointly on the status of submerged 

 repeater development in the United States and in the United Kingdom 

 after independent studies by engineers of the company and of the 

 Post Office. At that time, the cable and repeater designs had al- 

 ready been subject to stringent laboratory tests and had been given 

 the practical trials referred to on the Key West-Havana route. It was 

 recommended that these designs be used for the long link between 



