The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-09-26

American and As1atic Telegraph Company:
Friday, Mag the I'D, and before the Senate,
Tuesday, May the 26th, 1874.
MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE:
The Government and people of the United States
fully appreciate the need and high Importance Of
n quick and direct communication between the
Pacific Coasts OF America and those of Asia, and
the inhabitants of California, who are the most
interested, and therefore warmly desire and favor
the idea Of a Sub-Pacifc Cable, which will be
the forerunner of many other enterprises, and all
combined will contribute to make San Francisco
the clearinghouse, and the Intermediary point
between Eastern Asia, the United States, and
Western Europe.
According to the good order of things, the time
and distance at sea regulates the market on land,
so anything starting from our western sea coasts
reaches the land where it is surprising far sooner
than from any other part of Europe. All this
induces the citizens of California and Oregon to
firmly believe that China and japan, could be
made for the Americans the same field of COM
merce, enterprise and wealth, that the East Indies
have been to the English. They are not to be
conquered by arms, but by the peaceful inventions
Of the age-steamers, railways, and telegraphs.
At present the Americans are dependent upon
English enterprise for conveying their submarine
messages from the United States to China and
Japan and rice CeTSG.
Now, the gentlemen at the head of the Ameri-
can and Asiatic Telegraph Company, whose names,
with mine, are printed in the bill, whose respec-
NlJAAANI 10 y 4 Al SNsAAAO ALd nAOEC
collective wealth is far superior to the amount of
money required to complete this enterprise, have
entrusted to me the high honor to come and speak
before you, and assure you that they design to put
an end to this humiliating state of things and
prepare q new way, by laying a cable from our
Pacific Coasts across the Pacific Ocean, via the
Sandwich or Aleutian Islands, to Japan, Corea,
and China shortening the distances, greatly re-
ducing prices, and place it under the control of
Americans, giving at all times to their own gov
Rrnmenf the prIOritv over all other nations cor
porations, or individuals; it asks from Congress
no subsidy or privileges, rs it is stated in the bill,
provided that the Secretary of the Navy be di-
rected to detail, for the surveys and soundings, on
and along that portion of the Pacific coasts in
America and Asia, where it may be determined
to establish said submarine cable, one or more
steam vessels to afford such assistance as may be
calculated to promote the success of the enterprise.
Now, this proposition, instead of being burden
to the Government, will prove beneficial, as all
vessels last longer at sea than laying idle at the
navy yards, while the work assigned will contrib
ute in extending the knowledge of our officers in
the science and practice of photography. To
that effect, the United States steamer IuScdrOra
has already completed the sounding from our Pa
cifc coasts, San Diego, California, to Yokohama,
(Japan,) and found that the deepest points of the
waters 1887, 1922, and 3 ,009 fathoms are nearer
to the shores of Asia than those of America.
Now, MIR. Chairman, the Pacific Cable will be
the pivot upon which will turn, in the near fu-
turc, our supremacy in Japan and China. 1t
would at once put us in Immediate communication
with the far East; give q wonderful impulse to
our ommerce there; place US ia the most favora-
BILE position for controlling the trade: add pres
tige and influence to our name-already promi-
nent in those Eastern regions-aWaken sympathy
everywhere, and inspire confidence and security to
governments and people, the idea that they are
connected by cable with q powerful and friendly
nation. Look at the bright future before this
company!
Japan, the most enlightened of the nations of
Asia, has begun the construction of railroads and
telegraphs, and we Americans will help to con-
tinue and go-ahead with this work. China with
a population of 40O, 0O0, 900, and 3 800, 600 of
square miles of territory, does not possess one
mile of railways or telegraph. There is every
probability that as soon as this cable shall reach
the shores of China, grants will he obtained from
the Chinese government to enable the company to
reach all the principal cities of that vast Empire.
Whoever builds the telegraph, will build the
railroads. Thus you see what an immense field
opens for American enterprise, industry, and en-
ergy. This is the only way to successfully COM
pete with the English, who now have a aramoun
influence and supremacy in that part of the world.
We should try to have on land the advantages
they have at sea; to have them tributary to us
for the sending OF messages, importing and ex-
porting in and out of the interior of the country,
as we are to them in regard to the sea watching
every opportunity to supplant them in the end.
The foreign trade of japanese and Chinese
seaports opened to foreign traffic, amounts nearly
10 one InOusdDu anu nine nu0QreQ million oil dol
lars Isl 900, 900 ,O00), but, great as it is, it is
Insignificant when compared to the internal COM
merce OF the two whole Empires, that could be
made tributary to the ramifcations and connec-
tions of our cables or lines of telegraph and rail-
roads. The numerous foreign merchants. doing
business there, would at once make free use Of
Geographic facilities, and the Chinese and Japan
ese, although they are not inventors, are certainly
skilllul and patient imitators, and keenly alive to
mercantile enterprises. They will not fail to
initiate.
1 have been many years in China, and all over
the East, and have had ample opportunity of
knowing that among the Chinese and other
Asiatics there does not exist any friendship for
the English they only fear them. The COM
pulsory opium and the international gunboat law,
practiced by the English, has produced On I'M
favorable impression in China and the rest OF
Asia 1t is the first forever. The English have
utterly failed, and the Americans have wonder
fully succeeded. The Chinese and Japanese feel
a warm friendship for America and the Ameri-
cans. They are willing to accord more privileges
and facilities to US than any other nation. Look
at the success of General F.. Ward, of Salem,
Massachusetts,, and the Honorable A. Burlingame,
whom l met in Pekin, the honored representative
Of our country. Are they not good proofs of this
friendship; inducements enough to make us turn
our thoughts toward China, Japan, Corea and
Siam, and look at the Pacific Ocean as the only
one now left to US for the revival of our nayiga-
ton and commerce? The Pacific cable will be
the foundation stone of this commercial edifce.
Let us retain all the advantages possible of the
of these Orientals, and Of the magic
power of this wonderful Italo-American inyen-
ton, the electric telegraph.
Suppose, Mr.. Chairman, if any communication
of q secret need to be sent to our ministers or
in the East, or our relations in that
quarter become complicated, what reliance could
place in the transmission of our Government
messages through cables owned by other nations
especially so, when it is remembered that
these cables are all controlled by our English
rival? Our secrets would be n moekery, and
our plans defeated
Alter enumeratIng all these facts and SUPPOSE
tions as well as advantages, and attentively look
ing at our geographical position, not a true
American can deny that the Pacific cable is an
necessity. 1t is a gigantic work in
which patriotism ought to occupy a higher place !