§ 9. Sir ROBERT THOMASasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, with a view to affording wireless operators on board ships a chance of saving their own lives when their ships have to be abandoned, he will issue instructions that investigations be undertaken to devise a means by which the wireless apparatus can be set to tap out automatically the S 0 S signal and the latitude and longitude of the vessel?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am advised that there would probably be no great difficulty in devising an instrument of the kind contemplated by the hon. Member, but it would in ordinary cases be of very little use as it would be in operation for a very short time. Further, it might cause great inconvenience by interfering with the messages exchanged between the rescuing ships, and it makes no provision for the very important part of an operator's duty which is to receive messages from the ships coming to the rescue and give them the latest information.
§ Sir R. THOMASIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that this instrument can be operated by a dynamo controlled entirely on deck, and will not interfere with the electric apparatus on board?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am afraid that the hon. Gentleman did not catch my answer. I agree that there would be no difficulty in devising such an apparatus, but the actual sending out of these automatic messages would interfere with messages exchanged with rescuing ships; secondly, a very important part of the operator's duty is to receive messages from the ships which are going to the rescue of the ship in distress.
§ Sir R. THOMASIs it not a fact that many of these wireless operators in recent disasters have remained at their posts, and have gone down with the ship, solely for the purpose of sending out the S 0 S, whereas the S 0 S could be tapped automatically and these men could have an equal chance of saving their lives?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERIt is not as simple as that. Operators have behaved with tremendous gallantry by remaining at their posts, and have not merely sent out the S O S, but have been 205 able to receive messages from ships coming to their rescue, and go on giving the position of the ship.
§ Sir R. THOMASThat is not quite the point which I am putting; it is that at the very last moment of emergency, when any messages received from any other ship is of no use, and it is beyond the power of the wireless operator to indicate—[HON. MEMBERS: Speech!"]—whereas he could save his own life if he had an automatic machine tapping out the S 0 S.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am sure that my Department will be glad at any time to discuss with the hon. Gentleman the practicability and the value of any such apparatus, but he must bear in mind the difficulties I have indicated in my answer.