The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-03-09
evening Herald.
SATURDAY., MARCH 9. 1895.
FOR A PACIFIC CABLE.
Russia, France and Japan United
in the Scheme.
PUSHING THE PROJECT FORWARD.

American Capitalists, Backed by Moral and
Financial support from the Countries
Named, Rapidly Perfecting Preliminary |
Arrangements.
WASHINGTON, March 9.-When congress
failed to provide for building the Hawaiian |
cable it by no means ended the question. |
On the contrary it has brought fo -ard
project of International imporJu.ae by
which Russia, France, Japan and Hawaii |
viii join in an American enterprise for
laying a cable from the United States TO
Hawaii and thence to Japan, with branch |
cables to the French islands and extensive
naval stations in the southern Pacific.
The negotiations with these govern |
ments have proceeded quietly, but with
such satisfactory results that they are well
along toward completion. The chief in
terest of France is in securing cable con
nections with Tahiti and her other Pa
ciflc possessions and with her naval rem
devious which is now cut off from com |
munication.
Russia's interests in the project are re-
garded as even more important than those
OF Japan or France. Russia's cable com
munication with the Western Hemisphere
is now westward through London or Paris, |
and this tilGering of all her news and Of
fetal messages through London, in partic
ular, has long been a source of irritation
The Russian imperial family already have
a cable from Vladivostocz the easterly
point of Siberia, to Japan, so that the new
line would give Russia through cable com
munication eastward instead of through
London or Paris. The military and STRAIT
egic Importance of this is very great, for
should Russia be arrayed against the triple
alliance she could not communicate west
ward to the outer world, but could always
maintain communication eastward TO the
United States and to France,
Hawaii is also interested in the enter
prise, as she regards it as a practical real
izatiOn of her efforts to communicate with
The outer world The United States con
gress failed 10 act, and it also declined to
vacate the treaty in order to let Great
Britain build the cable Under these cir
cumstances the new enterprise, with Rus
sia, France and Japan joining, has com
mended itself to Minister Thurston, the
Hawaiian minister, and to other leading
men of Hawaii.
The foregoing gives the international
scope of the enterprise. The American
branch is on similarly broad lines. Ad-
miral John Irwin, United States navy,
WIN NEbbt NllC Alpltblt ItpOib NhNI III
command of our fleet in Hawaii, and Gen
eral Roy Stone, are principally interested
in the enterprise in Washington. With
them r associated President Alvord, of
the Bank of California, and the vice presi-
dent OF the bank; also the president and
vice president of the San Francisco cham
ber of commerce; John d. Spreckels, son
of Claus Spreckels; Herman Oelrichs, SON
ln-law of the luae Senator Fair and other
millionaire capi salists Besides these there
will be several wealthy japanese capital
lists. Negotiations are also in progress,
which cannot now be made public, by
which a financial house known the world
over will be among the projectors.
The principal work of organization is be-
ing consummated here in Washington.
The only question at present is whether
the incorporation shall be under the state
laws of New York, New Jersey, Mary
land, Virginia or California Their ad-
vantages are being compared and the in
corporation will be under the state laws
most favorable. An effort was made few
days before congress expired to secure "a
national Incorporation, but it was denied,
as 1t threatened at that time to be harm
full TO the government cable project, then
in conference committee. 1t was not
made known at that time that France,
Russia Japan and Hawaii were inter
ested in the project But the failure to
secure national charter has in no way
checked the enterprise. The arrangements
are SO far along that the filing Of the ar
fioles of Incorporation will be during the
present month.
The contamination of these plans which
are now made known for the first time,
cannot fail to arouse keen interest in Great
Britain aud throughout Europe, The
British project Of cable starting from
Vancouver appears to be ended with the
failure of the senate TO so modify our
treaty with Hawaii as to let the British
cable land on NecRar Island The only re-
course for Great Britain would be to in
duoe Hawaii to break this treaty obliga-
zion with the United States, but it is
known positively that this will not be
done.
Instead, therefore, of British cable
across the Pacific, as has long seemed i'm.
minent, France, Russia Japan and Ha-
wall are now uniting with American en-
terprise to execute this work of vast com
mercial and military Importance.