The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-03
CONGRESS AND THE CABLE
GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE
UNITED STATES.
Absolute Necessity of Quick Commun-
cation With the Hawaiian Islands
Cable Should be Owned by America.

During the last few years Congress
has made spasmodic efforts looking
to telegraphic communication between
the United States and the Hawaiian
Islands. In the fifty-second Congress
"A provision was incorporated by the
Senate on the Diplomatic and Consular
appropriation bill providing an an
nual subsidy of $2j0,000 for fifteen
years to enable private company to
construct and maintain a cable from
this country to Hawaii. When the
proposition reached the House it was
opposed and defeated. Again, when
the stirring events of the late Ha-
waiian policy" forced the subject on
the attention of Congress- demon
starating the almost absolute neces-
sity of quick communication with the
Hawaiian Islands, an amendment
adopted by the Committee on Appro-
priations of the Senate was made u
part of the Diplomatic and Consular
bill, authorizing the President to con-
tract for the entire work of laying n
cable between the United States and
Hawail,and appropriating as part of
the cost $50O,000. Ii was stipulated
by further amendment that the cable
should be ':owned and operated by the
United States Government According
to the New York Tribune, a previous
while Secretary of States, and Senator
Sherman, chairman of the Committee
bear on the question. In his letter of
reply to the committees request for
the views of the department on the
matter of cable communication, Mr..
Blaine said that he had no doubt of
the great Importance to the United
| States of possessing cable communi-
cation with Hawaii. Besides subserv-
ing the close interests maintained
with those islands, such cable would
be a necessary factor in great
! scheme of direct communication with
China and Japan and with Australia
| by way of the Samoan islands. The
interest of Japan in the subject has
been evinced by recent inquiries. A
late dispatch from the United States
Minister at relling indicated that
/ transpaciiic cable company would re-
ceive material encouragement from
Chinese quarters.
Mr.. Blaine said further that the sub
ject had been for some time under at
tentiye consideration in the Depart
ment of State which had made eff
forts to obtain trustworthy indica-
tions of the disposition of the Hawaii
an Government and other Powers in
terested in the problem of transpacifc
communication. After referring to
the terms of the Hawaiian concession
granted at that time, the calculations
of the working cost, and the encourag-
ing outlook for revenue from the eX-
tension of communication and eXpan-
sion of the system, Secretary Blaine
closed with the opinion that in the
course of events telegraphic commune
cation throughout the Pacific ocean
and with the shores of America, Asia
and Australasia is Indispensable and
certain to come. In the light of all
that happened two years ater, Mr..
Blaine's estimate of the cable joining
Hawaii to the American Continent had
something of prophetic significance.
In the meantime Great Britain has
not been idle, but on the contrary,
active and persistent. The history of
her efforts to secure landing place
for n British cable which should trav-
Continued on Page Five.)