New-York tribune., 1907-11-12

Al a meeting of the stockholders OF the Western
Telegraph Company Limited. in London, on Octo-
Der So Sir John Wolfe-BaTry, K c. b, one of
the most prominent engineers in Great Britain who
presided over the meeting said
feel bound TO say that DO not look upon any
tsten a- 4f wireless teiegIsphy as serious compel
same thing and nothing has since occurred TO alter
my views: nor DO l think that those of the ex-
perts whom we then consulted have become differ
- AZ mat tilile 'he lehgth over winch wireless
messages we're sent was. perhaps three hundred
yeopneIt of science and tbat eree 70 s,ie
would probably be compassed The Fundamental
dim 7ules and imperfectons Of wireless teegraphy
however, remain. in the of certainty of trans
mission. the want OF secrecy and in the confusion
which must occur when numerous messages are not
conveyed by direct conductor, such telc-
grapR cable or land iine from point 10 point but
enangled and interpreted at the other side Of the
globe.
believe that some twenty-five thousand paying
words pass 20 and from this country by cables
feagTams with London IN for,r or {f,oa T7inIitss
After making all allowances for possible tuning. !
cannot but think that the confusion il the ether
Der OF wireless messages attempted. With
gard 10 certainty of transmission, I believe that
many disturbances Of the ether by natural causes
must always be encountered and that the longer
the distances attempted the more formidable will
be the difficulties from atmospheric or magnetic
Then again. 1 understand that wireless sending
Biography by continuous cables and wires, be at
words, messages cannot be sent and received 81
simultaneously. and. II this be so, I foresee the
greatest difficulties IN dealing with one Of the mat
ters which cause constant trouble with any syS-
te@l Of telegraphy, namely, the elimination and
correction of and the consequent demand for
repetition Of doubtful signals.
For these ana other reasons I do not look upon
q wireless system serious competitor with ca
blcs. ] am as much admirer OF the wonderful
results obtained by wireless telegraphy as any one
anl appreciate most highly the efforts OF those
no have shown the way in this very interesting
6e-g9pment Of science but remain Of my original
opinion TO its practical effect on cable enter
pTlse-sO far. least. I can form a Judgment
under the abnormal conditions Of secrecy which
have from the first enshrOuded the operations or
those who have the conduct Of the wireless system
Wireless teegTaphy will assuredly be Of great value
10 the world IN certain localities and for certain
purposes but think that instead of being harm
SCl 70 cable enterprise il may, on the contrary be
assistance Indeed, we are now engaged, under
our concession from the Portuguese government
tn Important Subsidiary wireless installation fOr
moderate distances iR a locality in which a sys-
ten OF cables is for various reasons difficult and
undesirable
1t was well said that 81 the order Of discovery
tad been reversed and cables had come second IN
point Of date TO a wireless system 1t would nave
bs,.n universally recognized that cables were a
Fundamental and enormous Improvement, eIInlnat-
ing the difficulties UEcer which a wireless system
must labor