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COMMUNICATIONS
FIVE BASIC PRINCIPLES.
Uniform World Rates Urged.
NEW YORK, Nov 20.-The peace
conference must establish a world
communications system based on
democratic principles, the chairman
of the Federal Communications
Commission (Mr Jas L. Fly) toldf
the National Lawyers' Guild, states!
the Washington bureau of the "New
York Times." Mr Fly laid down
five basic principles for adoption:
Namely, a uniform rate" for mes
sages throughout the world, lowl
rates of a "few cents a word any
where in the world," instantaneous
radio communications uniform low
Press rates and opportunity for all
peoples in the world to communicate
with each other.
Mr Fly asserted that the United
States and the world missed an op
portunity at Versailles in 1919. "Bri-.
tain, by acquiring a good deal ofi
the German cable system, emerged'
from the peace conference with her
dominant position in world com-I
munications reinforced," he de-i
clared, "and since her consent is'
necessary to communicate with im
portant Empire points Britain has
been able to dictate the terms and
conditions of communications."
Giving examples of British con
trol, Mr Fly declared that in 1931
the Radio Corporation of America
negotiated for a direct radio cir
cuit but despite approval of the plan
by Australia and the United States,
"we were -forestalled." As a result,
Australian and American messages
had to go via Montreal or Van
couver. In 1943, a direct circuit
was authorised for the duration of
the war at the rate of 58 cents a
word compared with a 30-cent rate
between Canada and Australia.
"We are still unable to secure
authorisation for a direct Austra
lian-American Press circuit," said
Mr Fly. "Take the case of US and
Canadian reporters assigned to
General MacArthur. Canadian cor
respondents are able to cable long
messages to Canada at the Empire
Press rate of under two cents a
word whereas American correspond
ents must pay from 12 to 141 cents
a word."
It had also been impossible to ob
tain direct communications with
Cape Town and India. All such
messages had to be funnelled
through London. Expressing sym
pathy with Britain's problems and
needs, Mr Fly said: "Nevertheless,
she and other countries must co
operate in a worldwide system."
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