Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-12

veloped in a half century into great cable
having a central copper core surrounded by
numerous LAYERS of nonconducting materlal
ond nrotected by steel wire wound splrally
about if. and in turn further protected by
wa ternroof and nsect-proof WrapplhSs.
From, a steamer-towed open barge lne
facilities for laying have developed to meet
of nearly fifty steam vessels, with every
facility for laying, picking up spllelns anu
repairing the cable lines. From speeu late
of three words per minute, which was haHe
on the first transatlantic cables the speeu
of transmission has been accelerated u NJ!
words per minute, and even more thah tn''
with the automatic transmltters no" COM
ing into use with cable lines, whlle py tue
aItnlevinq of the cables their carrying
capacity is doubled. From cost 10 the
sender of 500 per message, which was
originaIlv charged on the first transatlantic
cables. the rate from New York TO LONDON
ond the great cities on the continent OF
Europe has fallen to % cents per word
From several hours required for the trans
nission of a message and receipt OF re-
snonse the time has been so reduced lhaI
messages from the executive mansion TO the
battlefield at Santiago were sent ana re-
sponse received within twelve minutes,
while a message sent from the mousse ol
representatives in Washington to the House
~ parliament in London in the chess match
of 1SeS was transmitted and the reply re-
ceived in thirteen and one-half seconds.
The effect of this ready and inexpensive
method of transmitting thoughts and words
from, continent to continent throughout the
civilized world is shown in the rapid devel-
onment OF international commerce since 1t
began The first successful cable lines be-
tween the United States and Europe were
put into operation in 1866. In that year our
commerce with Europe amounted to Sbo2'-
292 2S9; in 1876, to $72S, 1858, ,O5S in 1886, to
sS9G .911 ,5O4 in 1896, to sl,O91 6S2,S74, and IN
1898 to $1,279, ,739, ,936, while our commerce
with the whole world which in 1866
amounted to $7S3 ,67l 5sS had by 1898 reached
the enormous sum of $lSi7 ,53f 1884.
Lays in the Rear.
With this evidence OF the advantage of
prompt communication between commercial
centers desiring an interchange of their
products it may not be improper to call at
tention to the fact that the United States
now obtains but a small proportion OF the
commerce of Asia, which it is at present
only able to reach through the long and
devious submarine and land telegraph lines
across the Atlantic, the continent OF Europe,
the Mediterranean, the Red sea or the
Persian gulf, the Indian ocean, land lines
across India, cable lines again by way of the
Straits Settlements and thence along the
Asiatic coast and among the Islands OF
Oceanica. The commerce of the countries
of Asia and Oceanica lying commercially
adjacent to the Philippine islands amounts
to more than s., 600, 100000 annually, their
imports alone averaging 800 600 600 a month.
or 81, 200, 900 600 per annum. OF this enor-
nous market the United States at present
obtains less than per cent, despite the
fact that the imports into the countries in
question are largely composed OF the classes
of articles produced in the United States
and offered for sale by its manufacturers
and merchants. With direct cable communi- !
cation across the Pacific, direct water COM
munication through a Nicaraguan canal and !
an increase in the number and capacity Of !
American steamships, 1t seems not improper |
to suppose that a material addition might !
be made to the share obtained by the United /,
States in the trade of that part OF the world |