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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
Fifteenth Day.
14 May 1907.
NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES.
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.
190
CHAIRMAN: The discussion will form part of the proceedings, but they will have to be confidential proceedings.
Sir ROBERT BOND: Is there anything in my observations which will cause irritation?
CHAIRMAN: I think there distinctly is in this resolution.
Sir ROBERT BOND: Supposing the resolution does not form part of the proceedings, is there any objection to my statement being published?
Sir EDWARD GREY: Not to the statement.
CHAIRMAN: If you withdraw the resolution we will withdraw our objection to the statement.
The rest Sir EDWARD GREY: The statement might be put in. must be treated as confidential, because we have been discussing our case.
Sir ROBERT BOND: I only referred to the statement of the case.
I do not think there is anything vexatious or irritating in that.
Sir EDWARD GREY: I do not think there is the least objection to that. It is putting the Newfoundland point of view, which is quite well known.
CHAIRMAN: Put in the statement and the rest is confidential.
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ('ONVENTION.
CHAIRMAN: There was a point with regard to wireless telegraphy which Mr. Deakin wanted to put, and we have the Postmaster-General and Mr. Babington Smith here.
Mr. DEAKIN: With regard to the proposed convention in relation to wireless telegraphy, as to which an agreement was arrived at some little time ago, I understand that convention is now under the consideration of a committee of the House of Commons.
Sir WILFRID LAURIER: Agreement between whom?
Mr. BUXTON : It is an international agreement, and we are parties to it, but none of the Colonies are parties to it. The Colonies have the absolute power and option of coming in, supposing we ratify it, at any time they like, or going out at any time on a year's notice. Every self-governing Colony has We have only committed ourselves so far as absolute liberty in regard to it. this country is concerned.
191
Mr. DEAKIN: The convention, as I remember it, proposes to entrust to a future Conference the decision of questions relating to wireless telegraphy, the systems to be used, and the methods adopted, by means of which something like a universal system of wireless telegraphy may be established or the various systems may be co-ordinated.
Mr. BRODEUR: Interchange.
Mr. BUXTON: Inter-communication.
Mr. DEAKIN: These questions are to be referred to some permanent body on which each Power has votes.
Mr. BUXTON: This Conference took place, and all the great Powers-- I think every Power interested in it was represented. They came to certain arrangements which now form the convention, as to which the question is whetlier we should ratify it or not. The Conference has now adjourned for five years and that convention, so far as the Powers who ratify it are concerned, will come into force for all of them; but they can all go out on a year's notice. In the meanwhile, in the five years, the only things by which they are bound are the actual terms of the convention.
There is
no standing body which has any voice or power in regard. either to the interpretation or enforcement of these regulations and articles of the convention. The only body that exists is an International Bureau for merely It has no sort of clerical purposes, the listing of wireless stations, and so on. executive power of any kind. Between the meeting of one Conference and the next each Power is free to carry out the convention and to interpret it in the way it thinks right. There is no body with executive power between the two meetings of the Conference.
Mr. DEAKIN: Is it for the next Conference that a scale of voting was proposed under which the maximum number of votes or represen- tatives was to be six for a country with colonies.
Mr. BUXTON: Each of the self-governing Colonies was communicated with and informed the Conference was to take place. A draft was sent to them for consideration. I think they all desired that they should not be committed by any arrangements come to by this country in regard to wireless telegraphy until they harl had an opportunity of seeing how the convention worked out after it was discussed, considered, and ratified. They would have full power then to come at any moment, or to go out again if they liked on a year's notice. Therefore, with regard to the Colonies, there was no question about their having a vote at the Conference which took place last October. As regards future Conferences, the question was raised as to the method of representation of the various Colonies and the votes they should have, and how they should be enabled to join in future Conferences. There were two precedents: one is the International Telegraph Convention, under which any country can practically say that it desires a vote for this Colony or the other Colony so long as they have separate telegraph administrations. The other system is that of the Postal Union, under which each country, according to the importance of its Colonics, is allowed so many votes. was a question really which of those two precedents, that of the Telegraph Convention or that of the Postal Convention, was the best for our purpose.
It
Fifteenth Day.
14 May 1907.
WIRELESS
TELEGRAPHY.