The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
COST OF CABLE MESSAGES.
%. IS . word TO MnniIa-Sl. 0a 20 Curacao
International View or Cable Cutting.

- - NoEA ~ Nv
lnternational View OF Cable Cutting.
The many cable lines and the resultant COM
petition have brought the cost OF oommunlca-
ton between New York and London Town to a
fairly low figure, % cents per word. but when
one tries to reach more remote parts Of the
world, where the line is controlled by a single
Government, or company, or where there 10 lit
tie business to support 1t, the cost Of sending
m essages mounts 20 alarming figures. To send
ten words from New York to Manila. for in
stance, costs $3.50. or $40 per word beyond
London. This Is the commercial rate. News
paper dispatches go for about half this sum,
but, even 30, the cost of bringing a column Of
news from the Philippines mounts up to nearly
four figures. Even from a point 30 near as
Curacao. which became for a short time the CEN
tire of news interest. the commercial rate by the
cheapest route is 81 .9s. These.two samples will
give a fair intimRtion of the immense sums be-
ing expended by the newspapers in gathering
information about the war.
It may seem at Hrst thought that So. IS Is a
large sum to pay for sending a single word from
New York to the Philippines. but when one re-
locts that such a message travels 10000 miles,
and that II must be reccivad and transmitted
over a score of different lines or branches. he Is
more likely to come to the conclusion that 1t is
very cheap, all things considered. From New
1OEh II III kOCo Ii5 W ldIlldA ullu
from there by another loop 10 Hearts Content,
Newfoundland. where 1t dives beneath the At
lantic to reappear on the coast of Ireland and be
again forwarded to London, which is the great
centre Of cable and Geographic communities
ton for the whole world:
From London to the East there are two great
routes. The first, via either the Eastern or
1ndo- EUROPEAN Ctompany's lines, will take the
MarseIies. or by the al.water course around the
Spanish peninsula, stopping at Lisbon; thence
through o the M Med {and 1oSn ito to kisTe ssa a.
Alden. through the Arabian Sea to Bombay,
over India BY land, across the Bay Of Bengal 70
across III; China Sea to Manila.
The other route from London is even longer
by land. It takes the message from London BY
the lines Of the Great S9rthern Company across
a h91sis ts snd c Sibsri So to v to Hona Son and thence
In its long voyage, occupying from three to
twenty four hours. according to its urgency. the
tries. representing almost as many different ma
ttonalities. and yet the sender may rest assured
secrecy, and at a dxed and Known charge.
This'assur@nGe Is provided BY the Bureau OF In
COLLECTING. arranging, and publishing informA;
guaranteeing the interest OF senders and receiv-
ors. 1t brought order ont of the chaos pro
by wire. and has made 1t possible to cable to any
part of the world as easily as one sends a tele-
graph message from his office to his home.
This question OF cable cutting Is one that has
received considerable attention since the be-
United States. Has the United States, for In
stance. the right TO sever a cablo belonging TO =
French or british company when 1t 10 known
that the cable Is or may be used to give infor-
tional law are agreed in answering this qucs
ton In the Affirmative. Everything that can
give direct assistance to. an enemy is recoE-
nized as "contrabAnd of war" and may be
seized or destroyed. Railways, teleEraphs and
cable lines come under this head as surely, aa
provision or ammunition ships. The only dis,
agreement among the experts Is az 10 whether
the companies whose lines are so summarily In
terrupted can afterward collect damages. On
this point authorities differ, but the consensus
themselves. Is thai they can do so.
Whatever the opinion Of legal experts. there
is no doubt as TO the action of naval and mill
taTy commanders in dealing with n cable which
did not walt for a legal opinion when he found
that the Spanish Governor Of the Philippines
was using his control OF the Manila cable Il
send information TO bis homo Government. = ID
cut the wire and shut tho islands off from The
world The same thing has been done in the
ing Cuba with the outside world were cut dur
ing the first weeks OF the blockade. One ot
the bravest acts of the carly part Of the wal
was that OF the Nnshville's men. who went into
from the shore batteries. and cut both thu
cables leading out of that port. That the course
OF the United States in dealing with the cables
leading to her enemy's ports would have bccI
that Of other nations nndor the same circum
stances Ia proved by tho fact that the European
navies have ships fitted with graphing hook
for the especial purpose OF hauling up and de
Btroying cables In time OF war.