174 



DISCOVERY 



as Manager of the Pacific Cable Board (which led the 

 way in the world-wide adoption of deferred cable 

 rates), I was informed by most of my old cable friends 

 that we were catering for a public that did not exist. 



As a matter of fact, I believe I am correct in saying 

 that in 1913, 75 per cent, of all cable traffic was sent 

 at deferred rates. What I consider to be really a 

 striking fact is that in the first half of 1914 the latter 

 development of the " week-end cable letters " (at 

 quarter rates) was fast becoming so popular that they 

 already amounted to quite a considerable proportion 

 of all the traffic. In view of these facts, no doubt 

 can exist in the mind of any reasonable person that 

 there is a very large public ready at any time to take 

 advantage of any means of communication which is 

 considerably more rapid than the Postal Service, and 

 willing to pay for such communications at rates cal- 

 c'olated on a word basis. 



WTiether the operation of such services will be 

 remunerative depends on their treatment by the 

 Government. So far the authorities have failed to 

 give even the assistance they might have given 

 without cost to the public funds. The grant of machines 

 without charge to companies performing public services 

 would have enabled the contractors to fix rates in- 

 dependent of depreciation, and these rates would have 

 been substantially lower than those which are possible 

 when depreciation (still an unknovvn quantity in 

 commercial aviation) has to be provided for. 



Having sold the spare machines in their possession 

 — to a private company at a nominal price — it would 

 seem that, if the Government proposed to give assistance 

 to the commercial air services, this assistance must now 

 take the form of a subsidy, or the equivalent of a sub- 

 sidy, such as guaranteed remunerative loads. Unless 

 some form of State aid is given, the United Kingdom 

 is likely to lag behind in air transport. If my view is 

 correct that the essentially British enterprise of sub- 

 marine cable telegraphy will in the course of some 

 few years be engaged in a life-and-dcath struggle with 

 aerial transport, this kingdom will indeed be hard 

 hit should this latter means of communication then 

 be under foreign control — and in receipt of heavy 

 subsidies. 



Messrs. Longmans hope to have ready early this 

 month The Life and Work of Sir Jagadis C. Bosc, 

 founder of the Bose Research Institute, Calcutta, by 

 Professor Patrick Geddes, of the Department of Socio- 

 logy and Civics, Bombay University. The memoir, 

 which includes numerous illustrations, shows Bose, the 

 first Indian of modem times who has done distinguished 

 work in science, not simply as a physicist of fine experi- 

 mental skill, but also as a naturalist of the keenest 

 interest in life-processes and hfe-movements. 



Sir, 



Correspondence 



To the Editor of Discovery 



Allow me a brief note on Professor Calder's 

 interesting article in the April issue on " The Date of 

 the Nativity." The argument is on the whole im- 

 pressive, but there is adduced a parallel from Scottish 

 History which, not being a real parallel, rather weakens 

 it. 



On p. 102, column 2, about the middle. Professor 

 Calder says : " Quirinius's engineers could no more 

 have constructed this elaborate system of roads — one 

 of them through the very heart of the Homanadensian 

 country' — before the complete subjugation of the 

 mountain tribes than General Wade could have built 

 his fortresses and roads in the Scottish Highlands before 

 Cullodcn." 



Unfortunately for the analogy. General Wade 

 constructed his wonderful roads and bridges not after, 

 but with a view to, the complete subjugation of the 

 Highlands. In consequence of the disorders which 

 prevailed before and after the Jacobite Rising of 1715, 

 the Government sent Wade in 1724 to report on the 

 situation, ^\'hen he returned about two years later 

 as Commander-in-Chief of the royal forces, he set 

 about his great task of opening up the Highlands by 

 a road system which would provide communication 

 alike for warlike and for peaceful purposes. He was 

 able to do much in the way of pacify ing the clans, but 

 still many Highlanders cherished their loyalty to the 

 exiled dynasty, and the landing of Prince Charlie in 

 1745 set the heather on fire. 



Wade retired from the command on the appointment 

 cf the Duke of Cumberland, who defeated the " Rebels " 

 at CuUoden on April 16, 1746. 



The sequence of things is therefore just the opposite 

 of what Professor Calder represents. 



Campbell M. Macleroy. 



13 Westbourne G.^rdens, 

 Gl.^sgow. 



April 22, 1920. 



PROFESSOR HEARNSHAW AND 

 NAPOLEON 



Sir, 



To the Editor of Discovery 



I have read v\ith great interest the article of 

 Professor Heamshaw in Discovery for April 1920, 

 but there are some things to which, as an historian, I 

 cannot give my adliesion. I will confine myself to two 

 expressions only, the " escape " of Napoleon from 

 Elba on p. 106, and " Napoleon in his mad adventure 

 of 1815," on p. 107. The word " escape " implies 



