'Telegraph and travel. A narrative of the formation and development of telegraphic communication between England and India, under the orders of Her Majesty's Government, with incidental notices of the countries traversed by the lines.' [‎378] (417/782)

378
TELEGRAPH AND TRAVEL.
[chap.
mention of the arrangements concluded on the 22iid
July, 18G8, in Vienna, for the establishment of direct
communication between London, Paris, Vienna, Con
stantinople, and India: the first to certify that they
had executed all the engagements accepted by them on
this behalf; and Turkey to announce that her con
templated lines were in course of construction and
would be shortly completed.
Turkey, moreover, in asserting the reforms she had
effected in her telegraph service, threw the blame of
the defects complained of in many instances on other
administrations than her own.
Austria notified that a conference of the delegates of
the Austro-Hungarian, Servian, and Ottoman administra
tions was abc^it assembling at Semlin " to open an inquiry
into the progress of Indo-European telegraphic corre
spondence, and regulate the service on the international
line in the countries represented at the conference."
Finally, Italy, noting the care with which she had
established and organized her international lines, stated
that " negotiations had been entered upon between the
Italian, Turkish, and French Governments, to devote to
the Indo-European service a special wire throughout the
three States." 1
On the 13th August, Colonel Goldsmid left London,
on a short and somewhat rapid tour, to bring personal
inquiry and personal effort to bear upon the whole
question. A year had passed since the Vienna conference,
and there had been ample time afforded for the promised
ameliorations of the service. He visited Brussels, the
1 Letter and Enclosure from Chief Director Government Indo -European
telegraph. No. 287 of September 6, 1869, to Under Secretary of State for
ludiu.