128 Commendatore G. Marconi [March 13, 



As to the practicability of wireless telegrapliy working over long- 

 distances, such as that separating England from America, there is no 

 longer need for any doubt. Although the stations have been worked 

 for only a few hours daily, 119,1)45 words of press and commercial 

 messages had been transmitted across the ocean by this means up to 

 the end of February last since the service was opened. 



The best judges of a service are those who have made use of it, 

 and amongst newspapers, the chief users have been the Neir York 

 Times and the London Times, which have already publicly expressed 

 their opinion of this new method of communication. 



I might mention that recently I received by wireless from the 

 Neiv York Times a message of which the following is an extract : — 

 " . . . . during the five months since it opened in October 

 last .... the Times has received from its corre- 

 spondent in England and on the Continent news 

 despatches totaUing 68,404 words, sixty-eight thousand 

 four hundred and four words, promptly and efficiently 

 transmitted by your system. N.Y. Times' 



Whether the new telegraphy will or will not injure or displace the 

 cables is still a matter of conjecture, but in my opinion it rests a good 

 deal on what the cables can do in the way of cheaper rates. 



It is not, as some appear to imagine, either the business or the 

 wish of those concerned in the development of wireless telegraphy to 

 injure the cable industry. 



They are endeavouring at present to demonstrate the new method 

 is not only valuable for shipping, but that it should be also regarded 

 as a new and cheaper method of communicating with far distant 

 countries. 



Whatever may be the view as to its shortcomings and defects 

 there can be no doubt but that wireless telegraphy across the Atlantic 

 has come to stay, and will not only stay but continue to advance. 



Cable telegraphy across the Atlantic was subjected at the com- 

 mencement to a series of discouraging failures and disappointments, 

 but whatever its difficulties I think 1 am not unjust in saying that 

 it enjoyed one advantage over wireless telegraphy, namely, that it 

 was free from the natural hostility of vested interests representing 

 over 60 millions sterling, now invested in cables, which rightly or 

 wi'ongly consider long-distance telegraphy as menacing their interests. 



In seven years the useful range of wireless has increased from 

 200 miles to 2500. In view of that fact, he will be a bold prophet 

 who will venture to affirm what may not be done in seven years more. 



I shall not presume to say that at the present moment the wireless 

 telegraph service between London and New York is as efficient and 

 as rapid as that supplied by the cables. For nearly 50 years the 

 Transatlantic cable organisation has been in existence, and there are 

 now 16 cables working across the North Atlantic, so that in the case 

 of a breakdown of one cable the traffic is sent by one of the others. 



