The morning call., 1895-01-17
THAT CABLE TO HONOLULU
Merely a Scheme to Strengthen Great
Britain'S Position.
CONGRESS- WILL NEVER PERMIT II.
ENGLAND Is as Powerful in the Pacific as
It Is Deemed Wise That She
Should Be.

WASHINGTON, Jan. Representative
Hit of Illinois is preparing a bill for the
laying of a Government cable between
Monterey Bay, Cal, and Honolulu accord
ing TO the survey made by the photographic
office of the Navy Department, believing
that President Cleveland's recommends
tions in favor of allowing the British Gov
eminent to lay a cable from Vancouver to
the islands will only have the effect OF
creating sentiment in favor of the cable
being laid by this Government through a
subsidy by Congress. The President and
Secretary of State have been surprised at
the way the former recommendations have
been received by members of Congress gen.
orally.
A member of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations said to-day: ut is no
more possible that the recommendation OF
the President as to the British cable shall
receive favorable action in Congress than it
is for any other impossible thing TO hap
pen. The request on behalf of Great
Britain is made on commercial grounds.
1t seems to be assumed by the President
that, if this cable should be laid, it would
be available for the use of the United States
Government and for the citizens of the
United States under all circumstances.
This assumption is based upon gross igno-
rance of the political situation, of the
geography of the islands and Of the policy
OF Great Britain.
''The British Government makes this re-
quest in order that it may secure military
cable in the Pacific Ocean, as it has one in
the Atlantic Ocean and almost everywhere
else. If this cable should be landed in
Hawaii with the consent of the United
States it would be found that if an emer-
gencv should arrive the United States could
not send a single order for the movement
of any of its warships over it. Great
Britain seeks with this cable to strengthen
its military arm. The Canadian Pacific
Railway was built as military highway.
The line of steamers which connects with
that railway at its western terminals on
the Pacific Ocean is another addition to
the military power of Great Britain. This
cable, which the British Government now
seeks to lay from Vancouver, the western
terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway,
TO the Hawaiian group, is designed as an
other military agency of the British
Government. The object of this cable
is not for commercial usage only.
If it were a cable designed for
commercial uses why should it not
be landed at Honolulu, where the COM
merce of the Hawaiian Islands is, and
where it could be landed without in any
way infringing upon this ancient treaty
between the United States and Hawaii? In
that case the consent of the United States
Government would not be required. If the
British Government desires to lay strictly
commercial cable between Vancouver and
Honolulu it would have no difficulty in
doing that. The Hawaiian republic, I'M
doubtedly, would very promptly grant the
necessary permission, and no request would
be necessary from any foreign power. The
object is to make the cable a military cable,
subordinate to the interests of Great Brit
ain, so that it can command the Pacific
Ocean and also be the nearest point to the
western outlet of the Nicaraguan canal, if
that canal shall ever be built. The per-
mission which is sought for in this message
of President Cleveland will never be
granted by the United States Congress-"