The record-union., 1894-10-27
CANADIAN AUSTRALIAN CABLE.
SAMOA AND HAWAII WILL PROB
ABLY BE TOUCHED.
Interview With One of the Commits
sioners Sent Out by the Govern
ment of Canada.
Special to the REcoRn.uN1nr

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SAN FRANCISCO. Oct. 26.-Sanford
Fleming, Commissioner from the
Canadian Government to Hawaii in the
interest of the Canadian Australian cable.
arrived here on the steamer Alameda to-
day. In an interview he spoke freely of
his mission to the Pacific Islands, whittier
he was accompanied by w. II. Mercer, of
the Colonial Office in London. Mr..
Fleming declared that there was nothing
secret ABOUT their mission. The Govern
ments Of Canada and Australia, he said.
have resolved to lay a Pacific cable,
There are number of islands in possess
sion of Great Brilain between Australia
and Canada across which the cable might
be stretched as stepping stones across the
ocean. He mentioned the Solomon, Gill
bert and Fiji groups and Norfolk and
Tanning Islands. With stations at these
points, there would be no absolute ne-
cessity for landing the cable on islands
which are not British
However, the projectors of the enter
prise appreciate the business considera-
tiOns which make it essential that any
Pacific cable shall touch at the islands of
Samoa and Hawaii. Samoa it is pro
posed to reach by a short branch from
Fiji. It would be possible to counect
Hawaii by branch from the nearest mid
ocean station at Tanning Island, which
however is over 800 miles distant from
Honolulu. To avoid this long waste of
cable, it was deemed necessary TO obtain
a route nearer the Hawaiian group. To
secure the necessary concessions from
Hawaii was the mission of Messrs.
Fleming and Mercer to the islands. Con-
corning the measure of their success, Mr..
Fleming said:
''If the Hawaiian Government evinced
any desire to meet US, we are instructed
to open negotiations and to point out
how and on what terms the Hawaiian
people could secure the advantages of a
telegraphic service. After number of
interviews with the principal officials OF
the Hawaiian Government a cordial un-
derstanding was reached, and before our
departure we left with them memoran-
dunn of agreement, the terms OF which
we are prepared 70 recommend to those
whom we represent. We did not ask
them to cede any island or any portion of
Hawaiian territory to US. What we did
ask was that they should lease to us
Bird or Necker or some other unin-
habited islet outside the main group.
probably 500 or 400 miles from Honolulu.
to be used as telegraph mid-ocean
station only. From there a branch line
would be run to Honolulu.
I'VE asked for no exclusive rights for
telegraphic connection, but we proposed,
if given a satisfactory lease of one OF
these islets, and n subsidy OF S35, 900 per
annum for fifteen years, to establish and
maintain connection with the nearest
cable station on the American coast. our
charges from Honolulu to be one shilling
word for ordinary messages, ninepence
word for Government messages and
sixpence for press messages.
The arrangement is, of course, sub
ject to the approval of ali the Govern
ments concerned; and l may mention
that the United States has something to
say in the matter. BY the terms of Ha-
waits treaty of reciprocity with the
United States, Hawaii is forbidden to
grant to any other power any lease of or
lien upon any portion of Hawaiian terri
tory. Ii is quite understood that the first
step of the Hawaiian Government will
be to appeal to Washington for assent to
grant the privileges which we ask. No
difficulty is anticipated"
1t IS understood that Messrs, FIeminp
and Mercer will proceed to WASHINGTON
to urge their cause. That their inyesti-
cations were made by authority of the
british Government there is no doubt
AT Honolulu, her majesty's ship Hya-
clDtne was at their service. Accom-
panied by the British Minister they were
taken on the Hyacinthe 10 inspect Bird
Island, and make the necessary sound
lngs in the vicinity,