The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-26
The Atlantic Telegraph-Its Monopoly
by kMZland.

@N~
From the Times
Lord Derby, at the Lord Mayors banquet on
the 9th, said that he regarded the completion OF
the Atlantic telegraph as 'another proof that
England was mistress of the sea-" Precisely in
what sense he desired this phrase to be under
stood remains to be seen. 1t may have been
simply a graceful pleasantly, implying that
EDgland, by completing the cable, had proved
herself able to cope with all the dangers and hos
tilities of the deep. But it may also imply
what is much more important-that by controlling
The use of ne cable England will make herself
mistress of the sea-" and defy rivalry or sue
cessful resistance.
Both ends OF the cable are on English sol
ana under English jurisdiction. In the even
of war with TINS country no one can uouo
that England would monopolize the use OF ~
indeed, any use that could be made OF II Woulu
be wholly Tor her advantage. Our Governmeht n
would not be allowed TO concert Win COnu-
mental powers or with our agents at Cont.
mental courts, measures OF war against England
over the line, nor could we use IL 10 expedite or
direct tile movements of our war vessels In tor
elrn ports. The British Government, on the
other hand could communicate freely and
hourly WiGh her fleets on TINS side, and with
her agents and representatives in British
America. Whatever facilities the Atlantic tele.
graph can give in time OF war would iuure eX-
clusively TO the benefit of England. In that
sense and in that way the British Prime Minister
may well regard the cable as making England
more than ever "mistress of the sea-"
> We have not failed to point out this result
from the time the cable enterprise was drst
projected. We urged the importance OF having
one end OF 1t on American soil and under Amerl-
can control, and OF having so much OF American
capital embarked in. it as would give us q voice
in its control. Neither has been doGe-perhaps
both suggestions were impractlcable. The cable
is, to all intents and purposes, though largely
indebted to American energy and enterprise for
its completion, an English work. Both ends of
it rest on British soil and are subject to British
authority. 1t is owned substantially by English
capitalists, who Tx the tariff, and control its
working In all respects. And, what is also i'm
portant, the English Company which owns
the cable, owns also the only steamer ever
built capable OF laying down cable across the
Atlantic.
1t can scarcely be expected that we should
regard such state of things with permanent
satisfaction. The absolute monopoly of tele-
graphic communication with this continent
involves power more vast and terrible than
has ever been enjoyed by any nation in the
world. What should we say if every letter or
written message which passed between this
continent and Europe, must pass through the
hands and under the inspection of the Govern
ment or suoJects of Great Britain? Yet this
monopoly to all practical intents, is fully
equivalent to that
This state of things demands a remedy
which it is not quite easy at once to find.
Treaties, guaranteeing the neutrality of the
cable in time of war, would be worthless, be-
cause the execution of them would be wholly In
the hands Of one party, and all treaties, more
over, are abrogared by war. We might as we'll
expect the English navy to remain neutral, in
case of war with us, as the English Atlantic
Cable. The construction of new lines seems to
offer the only solution 10 the difficulty. The
Russian line when completed will afford par.
tial remedy, but the route is too crcuitous, and
the operation of the line will be open to too
many contingencies. The French Government
is interested as we are, in preventing an ab5o-
lutte monopoly of the Atlantic for telegraphic
purposes by England, or any other single
power Spain has indicated a purpose to con-
struct line by way of Cuba, and the aid of
Congress has been invoked by the company
engaged in the work.
The whole subject demands the attention of
our Government. 1t ought to have had it long
ago. We should not have been content with
encouraging and aiding the completion of the
cable; we should have also taken care to pre-
vent its falling wholly as a weapon of hostility
into the hands of the power which will always
struggle to be mistress of the sea.n That op-
portunity has been lost. But we owe it TO
yourselves to remedy the evil as speedily and
effectually as possible. Congress might very
we'll appoint commission or a committee for
careful investigation of the subject.