Belgium 69 



for an additional half charge. Expert users of the telephone can 

 easily talk at the rate of 100 words per minute, so that a conversation 

 of 1,000 words can be got through in ten minutes. The greatest 

 distance that can be talked over at present is 156 miles, from 

 Nieuport-Bains in the Ostend-Bruges, to Spa in the Verviers area. 



3. International trunk line communication. At present the 

 only international connection is with France, but an agreement 

 has been signed with the Dutch Government for a line to 

 Rotterdam and Amsterdam. An understanding has twice been 

 arrived at with the German Government, but as often cancelled by 

 the Berlin authorities prior to actual signature. A line from 

 Brussels to London is also in contemplation. Experimental talking 

 has been carried on between the two cities via Paris and Calais. 

 The French frontier is crossed at five different points : by the 

 direct Brussels -Paris lines ; by a line from Charleroy to 

 Maubeuge by a line from Mons to Valenciennes ; by a line 

 from Tournay to Lille ; and by one from Courtray to Lille. The 

 Brussels-Paris line has been a great success, there being now three 

 circuits between the two capitals. From noon till 3 P.M. all lines 

 are engaged without intermission, twenty-six connections per hour 

 being got through, on an average, on each ; this could not of course 

 be done if each connection occupied its maximum time of three 

 minutes. The receipts are consequently 26 x 3 x 3 francs = 234 

 francs (Q/. 75. 2d.) per hour during the busy time. The telegraph 

 traffic between the Brussels and Paris Bourses, formerly very con- 

 siderable, has been practically killed by the telephone, yet the tele- 

 graph receipts as a whole continue to grow. It is a curious fact, 

 as illustrating forcibly the superiority of the telephone for certain 

 purposes, that during the total interruptions of the Brussels-Paris 

 telephone lines which have twice or thrice occurred, the stock- 

 brokers have not reverted temporarily to the telegraph, formerly 

 in incessant use between the two bourses, but have waited for 

 the re-establishment of the talking facilities. 



4. Telephoning of telegrams. Subscribers may telephone tele- 

 grams to the telegraph offices and receive telegrams by telephone. 

 In the latter case a copy of the message telephoned is mailed, 

 postage paid, to the addressee by the next delivery. No charge is 

 made for this service (the State regarding the telephone system as 



