EXTENSION OF TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION &i 



munication with a country's outlying possessions as well as with other nations it 

 requires considerable development on a basis of substantial reductions in the tariff. 



From a national standpoint, the actual control of a cable is a matter of first impor- 

 tance. It means that a country can gather together its distant resources at short notice 

 when desired without fear of interruption, and by this means is provided with an extra 

 insurance against attack. Thus cable control under normal peace conditions is of even 

 greater value than the achievement of such control in times of war. 



Partly on strategic accounts and partly with an eye to improving on the facilities for 

 rapid communication with distant dependencies, a general feeling has of late sprung 

 up amongst the principal European powers for establishing their own national cable 

 links. Hence, within comparatively recent years, Italy, France and Germany have 

 each in turn produced their own factories for the construction of submarine telegraphs, 

 and these countries have now their own separate cables to most of their respective out- 

 lying dominions and tributaries. Thus, an agreement was recently entered into 

 between the French and German governments, the object of which is to render these 

 countries independent of British cables more especially for communication with Africa. 

 But, immediately, perhaps, the most striking feature of this agreement is the laying 

 of a Franco-German state cable between Brest and Emden, with German extension to 

 Monrovia (West Coast of Africa) and Pernambuco (South America). 



Another highly important event occurred when, at the beginning of 191 2, the Western 

 Union Telegraph Company of America took over on a 99 years lease all'the five cables of 

 the Anglo-American Telegraph Company, together with the single line of the Direct 

 United States Cable Company. By this practical absorption all the trans-Atlantic 

 Cables between the United Kingdom and Canada (or the United States) have come 

 under American control, the Commercial Cable Company of New York being the 

 " Western Union's " only competitor. It seems quite likely that this absorption may 

 make for an improved service in certain respects as well as lead the way to further develop- 

 ments. It is also obviously beneficial from a general American standpoint. But from 

 a national British point of view the change has led to serious misgivings. 



If telegraphic communication between a Great Power and its over-sea dominions 

 were only needed for private individual purposes, there would be no sufficient justifica- 

 tion for a government embarking on the expenditure of public money for state-owned 

 cables. But such communication has important national aspects, (i) strategically, (2) 

 politically, and (3) for developing inter-imperial trade. Whatever may be thought 

 about state trading in general, there are more sound reasons in favour of government- 

 owned strategic cables to distant possessions than would apply in the instance of state 

 railways or the government land telegraph system of a country, both of which may be 

 said to serve individual interests rather than national or imperial. 



For Great Britain the most striking case for a state cable is between the mother coun- 

 try and Canada. Indeed, whilst in order to effect a satisfactory connection with the 

 Imperial Pacific cable, there has always been the need for an All-British Atlantic cable 

 and land line across Canada, this need in the opinion of constructive British Imperial- 

 ists became a positive and urgent necessity so soon as all the existing Atlantic cables 

 came directly under the control of a United States Company. Other gaps in an All- 

 British system are between Gibraltar and Bathurst, and between Bathurst and Barbados, 

 and the suggestion has been made that in the latter case an extension to Bermuda would 

 meet and connect up with the proposed Imperial Atlantic cable via Halifax. 1 



1 Telegraphic communication to and between the West India Islands is in a highly unsatis- 

 factory position. The Royal Commission appointed in 1909 to enquire into the trading 

 relations between Canada and the West Indies strongly urged that the rival cable systems 

 should be taken over by the state. Though having the benefit of evidence from "wireless" 

 experts, they recommended further cables rather than "wireless," except in a few minor 

 instances. The Imperial government have not acted on this report, proposing that any 

 necessary developments should be effected by "wireless." On the other hand, Canada and 

 the West Indies adhere to the findings of the Canada- West Indies Commission, and at the 

 Ottawa Conference in April 1912 adopted (unanimously) resolutions to that effect. 



