Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-14
Object of the Coming Visit Of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
TO BUILD One FROM THIS COUNTRY
Mr. Blaine's Earnest Support Of
the Movement.
CLEVELAND CHANGES FRONT

urdav is coming to this city, for the ex-
press purpose of securing the consent of
this government to the lease OF one of the
urinhabited islands of the Hawaiian repub
lic to Great Britain. as station for a sub
marine telegraph cable from Canada TO
Australia with a connection between the
proposed station and Honolulu The cor
respon.lence on this subject recently sub
mitted TO Congress showed clearly that the
Hawaiian government desired to make the
lease. and was only estopped from so doing
By the reciprocity treaty with the United
States. wherein the then king of Hawaii
agreed that he would not.1ease or other
wise dispose Of or create a lien upon, any
port. harbor Or other territory in his do
minion. or grant any special privilege or
right OF use therein, to any other power,
state or government" The Hawaiian gov
eminent has formally requested the United
States government 10 so modify the treaty
agreement as TO permit the proposed lease,
and IL is thought that Mr. Hatch Is now on
his way to this city to assist Minister Thurs
ton in bringing about this result, If posi-
BILE
Hawaii Wants Quick Comm unlcnt ton.
The willingness of the Hawaiian authori-
ties TO grant cable concessions to Great
Britain is due to their great desire to es-
tablish quick communication with this con-
tir ent, coupled with their belief that the
United States government will give no
financial aid TO an independent cable line
betwesu che United States and Hawaii
bill for aiding an enterprise which proposed
laying a wire between California and Homo
lulu came up in the last CorgI ess. but was
amerldeI in the House by providing simply
for "a survey. The main objection to the APP
preparation in aid of the. cable was that, as
the Islands were not a part of our territory,
there no national obligation to assist
t..hl i-,o
them. There not a sufficient promise
of business for such a line to justify 1t as
q purely commercial enterprise
The PractisnbiIity of a Cable.
The practicability of a cable line between
the United States and Hawaii Is fully es-
tablished by four surveys made by the Tus-
carora Albatross and Thetis. The surveys
of the Tuscarora were made many years
ago. but those of the Albatross and the
Thetis were made between October. 1891.
and May 1872. The general conclusion
reached by Lieut. Comma nder Glover OF the
hydrographic ofhce. as result or these
surveys. is that a practicable lane exists
on the route to Hawaii, having an average
breadth of 600 miles. along which, at yari-
points. are sharp peaks, arising alb
ruptIy toward the surface of the ocean.
According to this authority, the most suit
able route is along mercator line between
Monterey bay and Honolulu, a distance of
about = loo miles. This requires minimum
length of cable, while the bottom is chiefly
ooze, which is known to be the best for pre-
serving the sheathing untnlpaired. The sur
veys showed the existence of a great pla-
teau between the two countries. The deep
est sounding was ., 1G6 fathoms. formed by
a large valley That fell 1000 feet below the
surrounding level. The greatest elevation
above surrounding levels was 300 feet.
Coral formations near Honolulu would
probably require the cable 10 be incased in
steel Grmor at that point.
4 Line Already Built.
There is trans Pacific cable already
laid and working between Queensland and
New Caledonia. a distance of about SUI
miles and the French company that built
IL, is planning o continue il by way OF
the Fills. and Samoa. to Hawaii, and
thence TO this col tinert. Whether the line,
Ii the extensions are made, viii run from
Honolulu 10 British Columbia or to some
point in California, il is said, depends On
the offers that may be made to those inter-
eSted in the enterprise. The establishment
of a British cable staten on one of the
Hawaiian islands would possibly cause the
abandonment of the French project.
Mr. ChIpnan's Report i'm 1891.
In February. 1871, Nc. Chapman. from the
committee on foreign affairs, submitted
report recomme nding the passage of the
bill TO Incorporate the Pacific Gable COM
pany for the purpose of laying a subma-
rins telegraph from San Francisco to the
Ha xdiiin Islands and thence via Samoa
to New Zealand. and also to Japan, and
providing annual subsidy of $4,000 for
fifteen years.
The committee said:
The Importance to the United States of
cable communication with Hawaii has been
suggested to Congress in the messages Of
President cleveland and of President Har-
riSon and has also been urged by Secre-
taries BayaTd. Blaine and Tracy. The sew
erai boards of trade, chambers of COM
mcrce. and other industrial associations of
TIE Pacific coast, at conference held In
San Francisco in August, 1889. urged upon
Congress the Importance of such a measure
as is now proposed. There is no doubt that
an American cable to Hawaii will eventual
~ he corrected with cable lines to Samoa,
Fiji Tahiti. Auckland and Yokohama. 1t
Is imma terial to us whether or not such ex-
tensions shall be made under the auspices
OF England. Germany. Russia or France.
or of combination of two or more OF
these. powers. provided the line of commu-
nication he tween the North Americ an con-
tinent and the Hawaiian Islands is con-
troiIad by the United States. There is no
room to doubt that unless there be an
American cable soon, an English cable
from Vancouver will be laid.
A Measure of High National Concern
In concluding their report the committee
said: Your committee regard the establish
ment OF n submarine electric telegraph
between San francisco and Hawaii as
measure of high national concern, which
will be an efficient factor not only in Sc
curing Hawaiian autonomy as long as the
interests of the United states require, and
a firm and permanent American influence
ir the tIav attain Islands. but In securing
for country tho commerce of the
Pacific ocean and the trade of the Au-
straIasian continent. We also think that
Unless such action as Is proposed in the
bill he taken at this session. the danger is
great that large proportion of that trade
and commerce Will be diverted to Canada
AMI England. For the reasons here named
II there TCre TO other considerations which
occur 10 those obserVant of public affairs,
o. appears To your committee that this bill
ought 10 lie enacted
Secretary BIaine's support.
In letter TO the committee dated jan
uary 49, 1891. Secretary Blaine summarized
his support of the proposition in the fol-
lowing vigorous words:
Il have no doubt of the great Importance
to the United States of possessing cable
communication with Hawaii. Besides sub
Set wing the close interests which we MAIN
tain with those islands, and tending to
exert positive and potential influence on
the political autonomy of the Hawaiian
groUp. such cable would be n necessary
factor In great scheme of direct COM
III