New-York tribune., 1897-01-31

three In British India alone. the Government OF
Great Britain has nine International cables. six
cables jointly with France. and two jointly with
Of cables the Government OF Great Britain eYpends
munihcent sums In annual subsidies for cables
PREVIOUS ACTION BY CONGRESS.
1t is true that in the last few years Congress has
made spasmodc efforts looking TO telegraphic COM
munication between the United states and the
Hawaiian Islands. In the Lid Congress pro-
vision was incorporated by the Senate on the
Diplomatic and Consular Appropriation bill pro
Nding an annual subsidy OF s5ocO for fifteen years
maintain cable from this country 10 Hawaii
When the proposition reached the House II was
events OF the late Hawaiian policy forced the
subject on the attention Of Congress. demonstrat-
muncation with the Hawaiian Islands. an amend
Of the Senate w Was made part Of The Diplomatic
and Consular BILL authorizing the President to con-
fact ior me entire work or laying nnro"riating
part of the cost S0.O00. 1t was stipulated py
owned and operated by the United States Gov
eminent: A previous correspondence between
Sherman. chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Relations. was brought to bear on the ques,on, ,o
for the View views Of the Department on the matter
OF cable communication Mr. Blaine said ID tna nnnd me
States Of possessing cable communication with
Hawaii Besides subscribing the close Interests es,s
be necessary factor in great scheme or direct
communication with China and Japan ana VIII Ms
Australasia by way of the Samoan Islands. Inc
interest OF Japan in tho subject had been evincsu
,s sSs a'Rsdifn fd0%
transpacific cable company would receive material
from Chinese sb Se subject had
been for time under attentive consid@eIa'OSn @ S
forts to obtain Trustworthy Indications OF the dis
position of the Hawaiian Government ana otnsa ne
comnunication c%mTrs After referring he terms Of
the Hawaiian concession granted at that ume: % ,me
rtnC
aging outlook for revenue from :he extension Of
Communication and expansion OF the system sec. sec.
retay ba'ne eSen,s eiegraphc Communication
hroughout the Pacific Ocean ana Mn 1se
and In the gh; Of all thaa nap pf
pence cable ,%o onins Hawaii to the American COnt
nent had something of prophetic signihcance'
rNGIANb's ACTIVITY IN THE NATTER
In the mean time Great Britain has not beer ide'
but on the contrary. active and persistent Inc
history of her efforts 10 secure landhg piace io'
British cable which should traverse the bed OF the
Pacific Ocean from some point In BRUSH Coiuihpia
10 a resting point in the middle OF the sea- from
which two branches would diverge. one TO Austral-
asia and the other the Chinese or japanese coast
is interesting. Colonial conferences OF me bIiusn i
dependencies have been held from time TO time. all
urging the British Government to conduct the sur
ey Of route for OF ayng ana ombIa mat
and Australasia In order 70 accomplish TINS snGn
or on Tanning Island for its midwa ysstation in the
great span from the Occident 10 the Orient -.
The Tanning Island route develops the gravest oo-
jections and involves almost impossible enter
prise. 1t is 1000 miles south of Hawaii, and the dis
tance from British Columbia requires cable length
of least $500 miles Thus far no continuous uno
| broken line of submarine cable longer than 200
miles been laid and experts in the business de
clare that TO lay line Of more than 5000 miles with
no resting place is impossible The radical increase
in prime cost and decrease in working capacl'y
would be a serious mechanical obstacle to 50 long a
span the great loss Of electric ibSomrS the sn
length at an estimated cost OF So 5000 per nantica
iingy great. with delay in transmission Of messages
as there Is no harbor for repair snip ana me
Gated at Vancouver. Another objection Is that Fan
ming Island is not b port Of sS and eas he no Of
English photographic Office made a strong report
regards tanning Island as a last resort in fur
ther efforts TO secure a foothod on Hawaii are un-
project of the British Gable Commission in this
direction only two years ago was effectualy headed
Commission went to Hawaii to secure by lease
purchase landing place for the British cable. But
II brought up squafey against the treaty between
the United States and Hawaii under which for
sn eSmPanE e0uld land cable 1snpt by ~ hs he rSn Cep
tinacious efforts the Commission went to far as to
was not prohibited therefore such lease might be
made 10 one of the Commission for the benefit ben Of
such company as he might favor The Hawaiian
Government refused to listen to this proposition
and the most that It undertook TO do was 10 refer
preston Of policy but in no way asking agreement
to the British arrangement. and having no SYM
PRESIDENT CLEvELANDs COURSE.
The proposition submitted TO Congress in
special message by President Cleveland. stating at
the outset in so many words that the Hawaiian
Government desires to lease to Great Britain one
of the unnhabited islands belonging to Hawaii
a station for a submarine Cable'-that Hawaii had
no suspicion Of British unfrendness or the fear
of British aggression" and recommending Con-
gIe TO so modify the existing treaty to permit
oe tn be- sn ssnea ss .oad through e
graphic communica ton with the rest OF the world.
especially in view of the fact that our own COM
munication with that country would thereby be
greatly improved without appsren deipmSnt SH to
question whether this remarkable message by Mr.
way for Great Briiains grasp on Hawaii and con.
troll OF the Pacific Ocean. or whether 1t was bold
half of American cable II the former motive.
then one can bu; compare the sentiments with VIII
WSen. Us in his annual Message Of December. 1856.
referring TO the importance Of continued ID treaty
that the Importance of telegraphic communica ton
Again. two years later in his annual Message Of
treaty subject, laid that no feature presented
stronger recommendations for Congressona, action
marine telegraph with Honolulu.
1t was the spirit: If not the language. of secre
land but unhappily. not the same President. In
1885 sends special message to Congress- in behalf
ificatons Of the treaty with Hawaii as would prac
tcally renquish the paramount influence or the
United States in that outpost Of American com
merce. and convert the valuable ground of vantage
into a stronghold for her commercial competitor
Great Britain. 1t was not surprising that the
friends of the Administration endeavored TO read
between the lines something Of the challenge In
dicated above. by which Congress would be stirred
up and go work In earnest to establish the
American cable. But, whatever the motive. Con-
gress got cold comfort out Of the Presidents Mes
sage and il would be mild statement to say It
not received with favor, and the scheme OF
the British Government met with ignoble failure
THE ATTEMPT TO STEAL NECKER ISLAND
Nothing could show more clearly the spirit tina,
animates the great commercial rival OF the United
States than the proceedings of the Ottawa Confer
ence That the watchfulness OF Great Britain and
her determination to gain a fooihold on some part
Of the Hawaiian group never tagged. the Necker
Island incident is ample evidence. Necker Island Is
about 400 miles from Honolulu. and in a direct line.