The times., 1899-03-06

oped in a half century into a great cable
having central copper core surrounded
by numerous layers of nonconducting ma
teTial and protected by steel wire wound
spirally about it, and in turn further pro-
tected by waterproof and insect-proof
wrapPings. From steamer-towed open
barge, the facilities for laying have de-
veloped to fleet of nearly fifty steam yes
sells, with every facility for laying, pick
ing up, splicing, and repairing the cable
lines
From a speed rate of three words per
minute. which was made on the first
transatlantic cables, the speed of trans
mission has been accelerated TO fifty words
per minute, and even more than that with
the automatic transmitters now coming
into use with cable lines, while by the
duplexing of the cables their carrying
capacity is doubled. From a cost to the
sender of S1G0 per message, which was
originally charged on the first trans-At-
lantic cables. the rate from New York TO
London and the great cities on the conti-
nent of Europe has fallen to % cents per
word.
From several hours required for the
transmission of a message and receipt Of
a response, the time has been so reduced
that messages from the Executive Mansion
10 the battlefield at Santiago were sent and
a response received within twelve minutes
while a message sent from the House of
Representatives in Washington to the
House of Parliament in London in the
chess match of 1898 was transmitted and
the reply received in thirteen and one-half
seconds.
Commercial Considerations.
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 de-
velopment of International commerce since
IT began. The first successful cable lines
between the United States and Europe
were put into operation in 1866. In
that year our commerce with Europe
amounted TO s652, ,232. 2S9: in 1876 to SIPS
959. .O5S; in 1856, 10 1896 9ll, ,504; in 1896, TO
81 0gl, $50 s7i and in 1895. to sl,219, 139, 1885,
while our commerce with the whole world,
which in 1866 amounted 10 $7SS,611, 5SS.
had by 1898 reached the enormous sum of
I.S47, ,53I 1854.
With this evidence of the advantage Of
prompt communication between CONNER
cial centres desiring an interchange OF
their products il may not be improper TO
call attention to the fact that the United
States now obtains but q small proportion
of the commerce of Asia, which 1t is at
present only able to reach through the
long and devious submarine and land tele-
graph lines across the Atlantic, the CONT
nent 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 COM
merce of the countries of Asia and Ocean
lea lying commercially adjacent TO the
Philippine Islands amounts to more than
s., coo. 600. 600 annually their imports alone
averaging sl00. zoe 600 a month, or $1,000
900. 900 per annum.
OF this enormous market the United
States at present obtains less than per
cent. despite the fact that the imports into
the countries in question are largely COM
posed Of the classes of articles produced in
the United States and offered for sale by
her manufacturers and merchants. with
direct cable communication across the Pa
cific direct water communication through
a Nicaragua Canal, and an increase in the
number and capacity of American steam
ships 1t seems not improper to suppose
that material addition might be made to
the share obtained by the United States in
the trade of that part of the world.