New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-05
THE CABLE CODE VOCABULARY
DECISION OF THE BUDAPEST CONvEN-
TION NOT TO REQUIRE ITS USE
VAST COMPILATION OF QUEER WORDS MADE BY
THE NETWORK CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE PROTESTS.

THE NETWORK CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE. PROTESTS
Those having occasion to the cable and es-
pecially business men, who employ code OF words
TO represent whole sentences. thereby econorpzng
In cable tolls. interested in the recent decision
of the International Telegraph Convention In scs-
fion at Budapest. Last week that body took up
the question of compulsory of the official vocab
ulary for code messages. The resolutions OF the
New-York Chamber of Commerce and other bodies
opposed to the vocabulary presented by
the representatives Of the Commercial Cable Com
pany. and the convention decided that the vocab-
ulary should not be made compulsory. ana that
all future action should be Indefinitely postponed
Regarding the character and purposes Of the In
ternatona Telegraph Convention. Mr.. Clapperton.
Of the Commercial Cable Company, said recently to
Tribune reporter that the organization IS a per-
manent body OF Government repres abroad.
which met originally at st. Petersburg in 1875. to
consider and agree upon rules and regulations Tor
the interchange Of Geographic correspondence be-
tween States and for collecting and apportion.ng
the charges thereon in proportion 10 the amount
Of work performed by each State and to establish
a central office called the International Telegraph
Bureau TO collect. arrange and publish information
of all kinds relating to international telesraphy
AS all foreign telegraph business OF this country
goes through England the European terminus OF
transatlantic cables. and England IS member
Of the Telegraph Congress- the interests Of this
country are involved In the deliberations of that
body, although the United States is not represented
in the convention.
Since the meeting in ST. Petersburg In 1875, the
convention has been he'd in London. Berlin and
Paris. The meeting at Paris in 1890 took the in'ia
tive in regard to establishing official vocabulary
OF words be used IN the transmission Of all code
messages. This action was not intended TO operate
as barrier to the selection by various senders Of
IN INA oil
desirable to be permitted. The sole object in
establishing vocabulary was TO limit CODE mes
sages to the of only one class of words Inc
words of this vocabulary could be used to represent
desired so that while only vocabulary would
thereby be employed 1t could represent any mum,
other advantages a. the various seniers desired.
In view OF the difficulty experienced in regulating
Increasing tendency on the part of the public to use
combinations of letters and to evade restrictions
International Office, which had been established at
Berne, swizerand to prepare ana publish sv Wa
come into use three years after the date OF pub
cation, and be the sole authority on the legitimacy
The Vocabulary has now been published 1t con- m
order present this array OF quarter OF million
of words to cover the multitudinous variety OF
dnG M o1 terms nssbe o he Of the
cable operations, a vast quantity OF words were
whatever phrases each code assigned 20 them. The
first words in the vocabulary for example are
aabam, aaboras, aachenese, aacla. aadur, aade e.c
The convention recognizes two classes or teie-
graphic correspondence-that which passes between
States within the limits of Europe, and that which
passes between Europe. Asia. america Africa ana
Australia direct, or by way OF Europe IL was pro-
posed by the action of the Paris convention that
after January 1885, European kilograms containing
larry would not be accepted for transmission his
was to include all messages transmitted by the At
lantic cables r,.
The convention adjourned to meet at Budapest
this year when the decision was arrived at to
Indefinitely postpone the subject
The Atlantic cable companies were deeply inter-
esed in the outcome Of the discussion. as they can
not afford TO ignore the International Telegraph
Convention for the reason that the Governments on
the other side the telegraphs and are sigma,
cables European soil carries with II Obligations
to observe the Governments rules and regulations
for the conduct OF telegraph business.
The Atlantic cable companies. not being members
about the rules for counting and charging mes
sages The International Convention settles 1t all
The cable companies have no alternative except 10
apply the regulations as they find them The cable
companies say what the rate FOR each word
shall be their own lines. Dut the convention
defines what word Is. -
The opposition OF the New-York Chamber OF Com
merce TO the proposed official vocabulary was made
clear to the Budapest convention when us declsioa
to table the proposition made. The Chamber
of Commerce had made the subject one Of special
consideration at It's meeting on February b last;
The Chamber decided then that. owing 10 the official
vocabulary being ''na0equate for commercial bus!-
ness and because of its faulty construction, every
the abrogaton or proper revision and extension OF
that vocabulary"
The decision at Budapest disposes Of the official
vocabulary scheme.