EXTENSION OF TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION 85 



tion: The conference agreed that wireless stations in the Pacific which could be put in 

 protected places would prove exceedingly useful for communication with the fleet and 

 in the event of the existing cables being cut. It was therefore determined to erect the 

 stations without delay. This, however, was not done, and the causes seem to be that 

 the Admiralty adopted the theory that such a means of communication in the Pacific 

 would be of small strategic value, and that the Postmaster-General held that its com- 

 mercial value would be negligible. The Australian and New Zealand Governments 

 think the exact reverse; and they have repeatedly told the Home Government that in 

 their efforts to maintain the supremacy of British trade in the Pacific they would be 

 seriously handicapped if any interested foreign Power established radiotelegraphic 

 communication ahead of them. The French Government apparently agree as to the 

 importance of wireless telegraphy in the Pacific, and it will probably be found that the 

 Governments of Germany and Japan are of the same opinion. 



From a British standpoint, the most important wireless project is undoubtedly 

 the Imperial wireless scheme, which towards the end of 1912 was under close discussion 

 by a select committee of the House of Commons. As proposed by the government the 

 scheme embraced stations on the Marconi system in England, Egypt, the East African 

 Protectorate, South Africa, India and Singapore. Apart from its strategic purpose, 

 such a scheme could not fail to be of immense advantage for the rapid and simultaneous 

 dissemination of important Imperial news to the various corners of the British Empire. 

 Neither the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, nor the Dominion 

 of New Zealand, however, became parties to the scheme, preferring, in each case, to make 

 their own arrangements for a system of radiotelegraphy with the same objects in view. 



It is evident that the Atlantic Ocean will soon be the scene of much radiotelegraphy; 

 for in addition to the various projected stations already referred to, the Marconi Com- 

 pany are establishing a second trans- Atlantic service between Norway and the United 

 States for the Norwegian government. 



Since the realisation of the International Convention of 1906, wireless telegraphy 

 has proved invaluable on several occasions to ships under distress as well as in connection 

 with the saving of life in the case of actual wrecks. The most notable instance of this 

 was the " Titanic " disaster, since it was to radiotelegraphy more than anything else 

 that the survivors owed their lives. Not the least amongst the lessons inculcated by 

 that tragedy were those associated with maritime radiotelegraphy, the most important 

 being the absolute necessity of a continuous watch by night as well as day. Another 

 is obligatory inter-communication between all ships installed with the apparatus 

 irrespective of the system used. 



The second conference under the International Radiotelegraphic Convention was 

 held in London from June 4 to July 6, 1912. Perhaps the most important new regulation 

 passed at this conference was that relating to compulsory inter-communication. The 

 principle had already been accepted by the majority of the administrations adhering to 

 the Convention, but on this occasion those which had previously stood out from its 

 practice the United Kingdom and the British possessions, Italy, Japan and Portugal 

 announced their future adherence. Thus the principle is now embodied in the Conven- 

 tion. A proposal for the obligatory installation of an emergency source of power met with 

 unanimous approval. The conference passed a resolution in favour of compulsory 

 equipment of ships. Provision was further made for improved watch on ships. Ships 

 in distress are now to control the working of the station in the neighbourhood, whilst the 

 ship operator is placed under the captain's control. 



Developments in radiotelegraphy have occurred at such a pace that we may be any 

 day brought face to face with a complete change in the art, and evert now there are 

 several inventors closely working at the problem of effective wireless signalling without 

 any vertical aerial. This in itself would be a very important revolution, if only on ac- 

 count of the large proportion of the cost in long range work that is attributable to the 

 extremely high steel masts at present involved. 1 It is generally recognised that radio- 



1 Under the proposed Imperial wireless contract these were to be 300 feet high, and the 



