The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-03-27
TWO CABLES WANTED.
Continued from Isl Page.)

rupted. There is no reason, there
fore, why Pacific cables should not
eventually be LAID over both the
American and the Imperial routes.
Ii is worth while to look for a
moment at the two routes in detail.
In the general newspaper discus
sion il has not appeared to matter
much whether Yokohama, Brisbane,
or Auckland were picked out for
the distant terminus of the" Pacific
cable. In practice it would matter
very much. as there are now more
than 1900 miles of cable between
Japan aud Australia, aud the extra
rate on messages for Japan via Aus.
tralia or rice rersa, over the rate for
the Pacific cable itself, would make
a very material proportion of the
total cost per word. Another argu-
ment for the advantage of laying
cables to both points is that between
Australia and Japan messages would
undergo innumerable transmissions,
greatly increasing the delay and the
chances OF mutilation.
From every point Of view the I'm
perial route is the most attractive
one. Apart from the question Of
joining the colonies together, il has
the distinct advantage of containing
a greater number " sections, which
renders the line easier to operate
and also gives greater opportunities
for picking up traffic and subsidies.
The Imperial route has five sections,
length. The section from Hawaii to
Japan will be over 300 miles long,
nearly thousand miles more than
the longest of the Atlantic cables.
Such long cable would be expen-
sive to operate, as the transmission
would be comparatively slow, and
Interruptions would he very costly
because the delay in effccting re-
pairs would necessarily be great.
Another difficulty is tina, the bottom
Of the ocean of Japan has bad
reputation, though possibly this will
disappear before the light of de-
tailed survey. In spite of these OBJ
stacles that appear at present the
cable will doubtless be laid; before
very long il will he a necessity OF
commerce.
There has been considerable dis.
cussion rs to whether Vancouver or
Monterey should be the eastern
terminus OF "the" Pacific cable. II
is pointed out on the one hand that
for strategic" reasons Vancouver is
preferable for the Imperial route,
while as regards actual economy
Monterey has the palm, as the sec.
ton between Monterey and Hawaii
would b. at least iOO miles shorter
than that between Vancouver and
Hawaii. A great deal OF nonsense is
written about the strategic" value
Of direct line between Canada and
Australia. II is nonsense because,
without a line across the Pacific,
there is excellent telegraphic com,
munication between Downing street
and Canada aud between Downing
street aud Australia, and when
Downing stree, wants to telegraph
there is no anxious consultation OF
the tariff card to see what the rate
is. Such talk is nonsense, again, be-.
cause the strategic value To Great
Britain OF cable across the Pacific,
=. -, its value To her in time oi
war, would be greatest IL il were
entirely owned and controlled by
Americans or other neutrals. Were
the cable under British ownership
and subsidized by the Imperial and
Colonial governments il would b.
cut by the power with whom Britain
might be at war, as quickly as il
could be got at, treaties notwith'
standing.
The strategic value Of the controI
OF the landing place Of a cable when
the rest is so vulnerable would be
about on par with the strategic
value OF the possession OF a railwa,
terminus when the enemy could pull
up the tracks. II is we'll known
that in 1885, when there was som,
little friction between Great Britain
and Russia, the Russian government,
prepared fast vessel with an elab
crate equipment for ripping up the
numerous submarine cables thai
radiate from London all over tn.
world, and link British outpost with
British out post. Treaties so often be
come warped even ON land that un
der the influence Of sea air they
would lose all shape aud meaning
aud the strategic" value OF a sub
marine cable to the power CONTROL
ing it is likely to be much overesti
mated.
or course this does not mean tina
the Importance OF having good cabl,
communication with outlying places
in times Of peace is not of sufficient
weight with the governments inter
ested to encourage the Offering o.
good subsidies in the case of tn,
Pacific lines. The fact that thos,
lines would not have the strategy,
value to the Imperial government
that has been so freely attributed t
them is only one Of the factors tina
have prevented the project from as
suming more active form before tn,
present time. The retarding inilu
ences have been various. The princi
pal one is, OF course, the enormous
cost OF system of cables that would
insure permanent communication
The length Of cable necessary t.
construct a line from Vancouver OF
Monterey to Brisbane is, in rounC
figures, 900 or GOO miles, he high
or figure for Vancouver, the lowe
Tor Monterey. The lowest price a