The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-03
PROPOSED NEW CABLE TO CUBA.
Western Union Opposes the Application of
tho Commercial CabIe COMPANY.

Western Union Opposes the Application of
the Commercial Cable CompRny
WASHINGTON. March 2.-The Commercial
Gable Company OF Cuba and the Western Union
Telegraph Company have locked horns over
the question Of laying a cable to the island Of
Cuba. The President OF the tirst-named COM
pany is Clarence Fl. Mackay. the
dent and general manager is George Il. Ward.
the Treasurer Edward c.. Plat. and the other
directors are Albert b. Chandler. George Clap
perton. and Albert Beck. all OF whom are OFF,
cials of the Commercial Cable Company. the
business portion of the Postal Telegraph Com
pany.
The Commercial Cable Company OF Cuba
made application to the United States Govern
ment for permission to land the recently pro-
posed cable in the United States and Cuba
The Secretary OF State referred the question
involved in the application to land in Cub to
the Secretary. of War and he to the Attorney;
General. \ hearing was granted to-day, and
the representatives OF the Western Union
Telegraph Company appeared TO protest
The western Union Company claims to be
entitled to Il MONOPOLY of the cable business
between the United States and Cuba until
1856 for forty years by the Spanish Govern
ment 10 the international Ocean Telegraph
ern Union COMPANY; At the hearing to-day
the Commercial Gable Company OF Cuba. or
the Postal Telegraph COMPANY. was repre-
scented by its general counsel, W. W. Cook of
New York. Gen. NJ. q. Butler OF South Carolina
and Col. Thomas Porterhodse Qchiltree.
ton OF Washington represented the Western
Union Telegraph Company. At the close of
the hearing, after MeSSrS. Ashton and Butler
had submitted legal Attorney
General Griggs announced that he would take
the matter under Amusement and render a de-
An elaborate brief prepared by the attorneys
for the Commercial Gable Company, OF, Cuba
says that the monopoly claimed by the West
ern Union was obtained by fraud and false
repres e%ntation and that tho monopoly granted
by the United States for the right in America
was for fourteen and not forty years. In con-
clusion the brief says:
Fraud lies at the very basis Oithe Spanish
grant, and the !nateriality Of that fraud ls
stated and restated in the grant itself. and It
was q fraud. not on an individual. but on an
imperial Government. 1t was Il fraud not
alone on one Government. but on two Govern
ments: an international fraud. IT was q fraud.
tho impudence and audacity- OF which are
equ allied only by the magnitude and enormity
Of the fraud itself. 1t was n fraud. without
parallel and without precedent"
for the Western Union, called attention to a
royal Spanish order issued In 1880, which
confirmed and explained the rights Of the va
rious cable companies holding concessions in
Cuba. This order. said Mr.. .TagEart. which
was issued nine years after the expiration OF
the franchise GRANTED by the United States
and twenty-five years after the date OF the
both concessions. and that there was no mis-
understanding OF. the periods-thet for the
American concession being fourteen years and
for the Spanish forty years.