ed under cross-questioning that there was no written record of
these concessions. He spoke of various vitally important
conversations and was not able to produce a Minute. Letters referred
to were found to have been lost from the Post Office files.

Further, it appeared that while most rigid tests were to be required
of the other systems, the Marconi people had been constantly taken
almost on their own word alone. "Mr. Isaacs and Mr. Marconi both told
us," said Sir Alexander King at one point, when asked whether he had
had technical advice on a point of working.

"You will excuse me," said Mr. Harold Smith, "if for the moment I
ignore the opinion of Mr. Marconi and Mr. Isaacs. I ask you who was
the expert who gave you this information."

Then too as to the terms. The Government had proposed 3% on the gross
takings. Godfrey Isaacs had held out for 10%, and got it. Moreover,
the royalty was to be paid as long as a single Marconi patent was in
use at the stations. Considering that by the Patents Act the
Government had the legal right to take over _any_ invention while
paying reasonable compensation, the provision which gave so high a
royalty to the Marconi Company was severely criticised. Again the
right was given to the Marconi Company to advise on any fresh
invention that should be offered to the Post Office--which meant that
any invention made by their rivals was entirely at their mercy.

Naturally enough the question was pressed home whether the Post
Office had really sought the advice of its own technical experts. It
transpired that a technical sub-committee had been called once, and
had recommended a further investigation of the Poulsen System. The
report of this sub-committee had been shelved, and the members never
summoned for a second meeting.

Early in January 1913, the Parliamentary Committee (against the
advice of Herbert Samuel) asked for a special sub-committee of
experts to go into the merits of the various wireless systems and
report within three months at latest. It is not surprising that the
_New Witness_ commented on this as "a surrender of the most decided
type, for it proposes to do what Samuel himself clearly ought to have
done before he entered into the contract."

The report of this technical sub-committee showed that there had been
a good deal of exaggeration in the first attack by the _New Witness_
on the worth of the Marconi System. If one single system was to be
used, it was the only one