From The Hindu Archives, February 12, 1926: Transmitting musical composition by code

REUTER’S SPECIAL SERVICE

London, Feb. 11: Owing to the demand for popular songs and the necessity of lightning transmission of them to prevent smuggling between New York and London, a novel scheme for cabling melodies has been devised by the London music publishers. The method is based on an alphabetical code covering notes and time-beats which can be re-translated into music by means of a simple key. It appears that ships stewards and others recently smuggled into England new American numbers which were played publicly before they were published, while an enormous number of British tunes have still be orchestrated in America. These will now be cabled to professional orchestrators in New York.