The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-05
III costs S2oG5 a Word TO Send a
Message TO Mami1a==HI0W the
Gables Gross and CONNECT i'm
the West INDIAN Seat of War.

well supplied with cables. Messages from
the United States are forwarded by the
International Ocean Telegraph, worked by
the Western Union. from Florida 70 Ha-
Tana. The Cuba Submarine Company car
res them along the shores of that Island
TO Santiago which IS connected BY the
West India ard Panama Company's lines
with most of the smaller islands. with
Barbice ard Demerara in British Guiana.
and with Colon (Panamal. la Soc.ete
Franchise des Telegraph Sous Marins con-
meets Cuba with Haysi. Porto Rico. Cua-
Goa, and La Guayra in Venezuela. 4
branch OF this line extends from, Porto
Plata To Martinique, Paramaribo. Cayenne.
and Viseu, at the mouth OF the Amazon.
These points can also be reached from
Galveston over the lines of the Mexican
Telegraph Company, via Colon. The con-
nections OF the latter system extend all
along the west coast OF Central and South
America.
South America IS Joined 10 Europe by
two lines of the Eastern Company run
ming from Brazil TO Lisbon. The Brazil
Ian submarine line connects the western
terminus OF this with the West Indies, 50
that communication may be had between
Cuba and Porto Rico and Spain over this
route, without passing through the terri
Tory or control of the United States at
ali. The Eastern Company's line halts at
line extends to st. Louis on the west coast
or Africa, whence another loop of this
same system. which is controlled by a
spanish company, runs north along the
coast OF Cadiz.
IL will be seen that there are "A num-
Der or lines OF communication available
for the Spanish forces in Cuba and Porto
REQ In reaching Madrid and .hat II wou;d
DE difiieuit TO stop intercourse between
THESE places except by cutting every cable
Inc that leads out of the two islands The
problem Is not SO simple as ID was i'm the
philippines. where the severance OF a
single line effectualIy shut off the islands
from the outside world
Cutting Cables.
This question of cable cutting IL ona
that has received considerable attention
since the beginning OF the war between
Spain and the United States Has .bn
United States. for instance. the right "a
sever a cable belonging to a French or
Brltlsh company when IL is known thu.
the cable is or may be used to give in
formation To Spain? The authorities an
international law are agreed i'm answering
this question in the affirmative Every
thing that can give direct assistance. IN
an enemy is recognized as .'contrabsnd
OF war. and may be seized or destroy
:. ed. Railways. tsiegraphs and eahse ffyrrs
come under this head as surely as pro-
VISION or ammunition ships. The oniv
disagreement among the experts is as "a
whether the companies whose lines are so
summariiy interrupted can afterwards coll
iect damages. On this point authorities
diner, but the consensus Of opinion unan-
imouSly supported by the cable comnanies
themselves, is that they can do so
Whatever the opinion OF legal experts
there is no doubt as 10 the action OF ma
val and military commanders In deal
ing with cable which Is likely to be of
service 10 an enemy. Dewey did not wait