My dear Colleague:

A meeting of the International Telegraph Consultative Committee (C.C.I.T.) is scheduled to convene at Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday, the 11th of May next.

It has not been our policy to send representatives to meetings of this Committee, but it is considered necessary that Canada should be represented at the forthcoming meeting for the following reasons:

(a) Many matters pertaining to International Telecommunications of vital importance to Canadian Carriers will be discussed, and the conclusions arrived at will form the basis for discussion with respect to such matters at the next International Telegraph Conference which is scheduled to convene in Paris on May 2nd, 1949.

(b) The American delegates to the Telecommunications Conference in Atlantic City last summer officially expressed the hope that the United States of America would sign the next Telegraph Regulations, in which case it would be expedient for Canada to do likewise.

(c) The United States is sending a strong official delegation to the C.C.I.T. meeting, and they will be supported by representatives of the American Telecommunication Companies, who are experts in their respective fields of telecommunication.

(d) The Canadian Telecommunication Companies are unanimous in their demands that Canada should be officially represented at the C.C.I.T. meeting, and that they should be permitted to attend in the capacity of advisors. I propose, therefore, to notify the International Bureau at Berne, and at their request, the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Belgium, that my Deputy Minister, Mr. C.P. Edwards, head the Canadian Delegation. He will be accompanied by Mr. W.E. Connelly, Superintendent of Radio, and a traffic expert of each of the Canadian Telecommunication Companies; Canadian Marconi Company, Canadian Pacific Telegraphs, and Canadian National Telegraphs.⁹⁷

Yours very truly,
C.D. HOWE

⁹⁷Saint-Laurent donna son accord dans une lettre à Howe en date du 27 avril.† (DEA/9083-40).
St. Laurent concurred in a letter to Howe dated Aprit 27†. (DEA/9083-40).