Evening star., 1899-02-10
TRANSPAClFIC CABLE
The President Urges 1t in a Message to
Congress.

The President sent message to Congress
late this afternoon urging enactment of
legislation at this session providing for the
construction of cable to the Hawaiian Is
lands.
The message was received while the
House was in committee Of the whole con-
sidering the sundry civil bill
The Presidents message on the Pacific
cable. transmitted to Congress today, is as
follows:
'As a consequence of the ratification of
| the treaty of Paris by the Senate of the
| United States and its expected ratificat ton
by the Spanish government, the United
States will come into possession of the
Philippine Islands, on the farther shores of
the Pacific.
The Hawaiian Islands and Guam being
United States territory and forming con-
venient stopping places on the way across
municatiOn between the United States and
al! these Pacific Islands has become i'm
perative.
such communication should be establish
ed in such a way as to be wholly under the
control of the United States, whether in
time OF peace or war. AT present he Phil
ippines only be reached by cables which
pass through many foreign countries, and
the Hawaiian Islands and Guam can only
be communicated with by steamers, involv-
ing delays in each instance of at least a
n
be allowed to continue for moment longer
| than is absolutely necessary.
$50 long ago 1885 reference was made
| in an executive message TO Congress of the
necessity for cable communication be
| tween the United States and Hawaii. This
necessity has greatly increased since then.
ME question has been discussed in the
| Fifty-second. FIfty-fourth and Fifty-ffth
| Congresses. in each of which some effort
| has been made looking toward laying a
| cable, at least as far as the Hawaiian Is
lands.
'-The time has now arrived when cable
| in the Pacific must extend as far as Ma
| Mia, touching at the Hawaiian Islands and
Guam on the way. Two methods of estab b.
| fishing this cable communication at once
suggest themselves. First, construction
| and maintenance of such cable at the ex-
! pense of the United States government
| and. second. construction and maintenance
| of such cable by private United States
| corporation under such safeguards as Con-
gress shall impose.
| Il do not make any recommendations TO
| congress as to which of these methods
| would be the more desirable. cable of
| the length Of that proposed REQUIRES so
| much time for construction and laying that
/ it is estimated that at least two years must
| elapse after giving the order for the cable
| before the entire system could be success
| fully laid and put in operation
| Further deep sea soundings must he
| taken west of the Hawaiian Islands before
| the best route for the cable can be Sc
| lected. Under these circumstances it be-
| comes a paramount necessity that meas
| ures should he taken before the clCsa OF
| the IRE MT Congress to prov de such mears
| as may seem suitable fer the establishment
| of a cable system.
| Il commend the whole subject to the
| careful consideration of the Congress and
| 10 such prompt action may seem advisa-
| bic.
| "(signeG WILLIA-d MCKINLEY.
| Executive Mansion
| Washington. February 10, 1899"