Evening star., 1907-08-18
ABSORBING MARCONI
GERMANY UNDERMINING ENG
LAND IN WIRELESS"
Special Cablegram to The Star.


BERLIN, August 17-Germany is maxi
Ing bold bid for the control of wireless
telegraphy throughout the world. This is
the real meaning of the strenuous efforts
being made by a powerful syndicate OF
German capitalists to purchase the con-
trolling financial interest in the MarconI
Wireless Telegraph Company, as well as
in all the dependent companies founded and
controlled by the parent Marconi concern.
The capture of the world wide Marcon
organization by the Germans would inevi-
taby result in disastrous consequences
from the point of view of imperial British
defense.
The possession of the controlling financial
Interest in the Marconi companies would
mean the successful conclusion of a long
and persistent German campaign to wrest
from Great Britain her predominance in
wireless telegraphy, and to obtain for her
self all the far-reachng advantages which
this predominance confers. The Marconi
company, which is a British concern, has
built up by the efforts of many years a
Worldwide system of communication by
wireless telegraphy. The British govern
ment. the Italian government and Lloyds
shipping Agency are at present all bound
by contract to use exclusively the Marconi
system.
100 steamships belonging to various com
panies in many countries. The company
possesses twenty-five wireless telegra ply
stations in England. twenty in Italy, nine
teen in Canada. seven in the United States,
two in Egypt. one in Holland and one in
Montenegro, making total of .seventy-two
stations land. This number does not
include the numerous stations land
erected for Lloyds Shipping Agency. The
strategic Importance Of these stations is
incalculable.
The Marconi Company, to preserve Its
own predominance, refuses to allow these
stations to communicate with other sta
tions where any rival system of wireless
telegraphy is utilized This Is disastrous to
the German system of wireless telegraphy
known as Teefunken. owned by the Ger
man Wireless Telegraph Company. A ship
fitted with the Telefunken apparatus can
not communicate with any ship fitted
with the Marconi apparatus. or with
any station on land worked by the Marconi
Company. Ships fitted with the Telefunken
system are thus cut off from communica-
ten with the stations of Lloyd's agency, as
well as from nearly all the land stations in
the world. For this reason even the ships
ped not with the Telefunken system. but
with the Marconi apparatus.
The New Convention.
Germany, perceiving that the Telefunken
system was overshadowed by the Marconi
company, proposed 70 TeduJuSt matters ny
summoning other countries to her aid. An
international conference was in consequence
summoned, and met in Berlin last October.
Strangely enough, the British government,
instead of energetically defending the
rights of the British company. and thereby
safeguarding national interests gave way
to Germany on almost every essential point
An international convention compelling
compulsory tnter-communication between
all wireless telegraph stations was drawn
up with the consent of the British delega-
ton. The terms of this convention, which
will come into force next year, compel the
Marconi stations all over the world to ac-
cept and transmit messages from Tele-
funken and other rival foreign systems The
convention thus arbitrarily deprives the
British company of the predominance which
it has gained. and confers immense benefits
on foreign competitors in the realm of wire
less telegraphy. German competitors, well
understanding the chagrin of the Marconi
Company at the inexplicable action of the
British government in agreeing to an inter-
national convention of this character, re-
solved to seize this opportunity Of making
their bid for the Marconi properties. An ex-
cellent offer has been made to the Marconi
Company, and the would-be German pur-
chasers are hopeful of being able to carry
out their project