Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-12
WILL Be TAKEN UP IN CONGRESS
Bill Reported by the Foreign Rela-
tons Committee.
A GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE

of the United States and their chief harbor
is to be a coaling station and rendezvous
| for the nations men-of-war, a cable line to
secure quick communication becomes an
absolute necessity if the islands are to be-
come as effective in the event Of war as
they should be.
Not only will it be necessary to connect
the Islands with cable, but the cable will
be in some important respects military
one, its land approach TO the Hawaiian
Islands to be so arranged that that part
OF 1t coming to the shore shall be under
the protection of the guns that will defend
the entrance of Pearl harbor.
Many senators and representatives who
formerly mildly Endorsed the project to
construct cable to the Hawaiian Islands
now insist that such a cable must be laid
as soon as possible as part of the project
for securing those islands as a naval sta
ton. In the event of a war with any Eu-
ropean power, such cable, they say, can
be controlled absolutely by this country,
allowing supplies to be quickly ordered
from the United States to equip the vessels
Asiatic stations.
Will Be Taken Up in Congress-.
This subject will be renewed in Congress
next winter, and it is probable that legisla-
ton will be enacted assuring the building
ed later to connect with the Philippine Is
lands.
For some time it has been understood
that capitalists have been ready to build a
cable to Hawaii if the government would
guarantee certain income for it on ac-
count Of government business. This guar
antee or subsidy, according to one plan
would be paid for certain number of
years, at the expiration of which period the
government would become the owner of
no os hi la NV
Many plans have been suggested, nearly
all OF them carrying the idea of cable to
be built by private company with govern
ment aid of some kind. while a smaller
numper OF plans involve the construction
and operation of the cable by the govern
ment. The manner of the construction of
the cable will be open to discussion but
those who are well informed on the senti-
ment entertained in Congress on this sub
Ject declare that even men who opposed
Hawaiian annexation will approve the
building of a cable now that the islands
are a part of the United States.
Views in Congress-.
Senator Cullom. in speaking of the neces-
sity for cable to connect this country
with the Hawaiian Islands, said to Star
reporter today:
I'VE have been trying to pass a bill es-
tablishing cable between our Pacific coast
and Hawaii and Japan for some time
There has never been any time that it was
not perfectly patent that this cable is ex-
tremely important, but its importance ap-
pears greater now than ever. Here we are
with our Hawaiian possessions in mid
ocean, over 1000 miles from any tele-
graphic station The people In those islands
DO not even know that the islands are a
part or the United States. 1 think the next
congress will provide for the building of
this cable along the lines laid down in a
Dill which has been reported to the Senate
by Mr.. Frye"
Senator Gear said he was favorable to
the building of the Hawaiian cable. ard
thought it could not be done too soon.
Representative Mcguire said he was
strongly in favor of the building of a cable
from San Francisco to the Hawaiian
Islands, but he did not approve the meth
DDS which had been talked of for having
this cable built by a private company to
be subsidized by the government by a.
guarantee of certain amount of govern
ment business. Mr.. Mcguire thought the
government should construct and own this
cable line, and both ends of it should be SO
fortified that in the case of war the cable
could not be readily cut near the shore.
Senator Frye's Bill.
In the first session of the Fifty-fourth
Congress Mr.. Frye, from the committee On
foreign relations, reported bill to the Sen
ate, providing for a guarantee of a sum
not exceeding 100000 a year, payable for
twenty years, to a company to lay u cabls
from San Francisco to Honolulu, and ty
way of the Midway Islands TO points on
the coast of Japan.
THIS bill provided that, in consideration
OF the above payments, the company should
transmit all messages of the United States
between the points mentioned forever with
out charge, and preference should ALWAYS
De given such messages for transmission
Among the provisions in this bill were the
following
Sec. o. That the rate for ordinary pri
tha inn
cable company shall rot al any time exceed
the following amount: On messages between
the United States and Japan 81 % per word
and on messages between the United States
and Honolulu 35 cents per word. Press
rates over the lines owned by said cable
company shall NOT exceed one-fourth the
rate which shall be charged for ordinary
private mess ages.
Sec. 10. That in case of war rebellion
or other emergency, the United States gov
eminent, through the President, may take
possession of the said line. and Of the sta
tons, offices and apparatus thereof, and
dent of the United States may think
requisite. . %
The Committees Report
In reporting this bill, ON May 6, 1896, the
committee said:
THE imports and exports of the United
States from and to Japan for the year end
ing June 30, 1895, were in the aggregate
$2S ,674. The function of the telegraphic
cable not merely in determining the rela-
tive facilities of intercourse but In develop
ing new commerce by reason Of the new
facilities, seems obvious.
1T may be said here, properly, that IL a
cable is laid from San Francisco TO japan
there is reason to suppose that the proposed
Australian line will be built from Australia
to Honolulu Only, and connect that country
with North America by that means.
1.-THE commerce of the Hawaiian Islands
is not only chiefly with the United States,
but In q sense which is unfortunately rare,
is carried in vessels belonging to this coun-
try. or $50 voyages made from the United
States to Hawaii during the year 1898. "a.
ISL were made by vessels Of this country.
That these ships should be at the termina-
ton of each voyage distant on an average
three weeks from communication with
home distant as nowhere else within COM
mercial regions. is at least a wide depar-
tire from the policy OF Great Britain.
which has under subsidy not less than TO-.
600 miles Of cables extending into the re-
hottest commercial regions, at an annual
cost to the government of that country Of
$4,000. The average rate of these SUBJ
sides ($45 per mile) is about $40 per mile in
excess of the sum which in this case It is
proposed to nav for q limited period the