The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-18
PACIFIC CABLE STATUS.
President Scrymser Throws Some Light on
the Subject.
4 COMBINATION LINE IS INPRACIlCABLE
Thc Eastern Cable Company. nm En-
rIisb Corporation, Controls All
Until the Year 1919.

I New York February 16.--.Iames A.
Scrymser, president of the Pacific Cable
company of New York, has returned to this
| city from trip of several months duration
| in the Far East, where he has been re-
! viewing the possibilities OF the construction
of an American Transpacliic cable Mr..
scrymser made some interesting statements
lsregarding the Pacific cable question and
President McKnley's message to congress
on the subject
| The presidents message set forth the
urgency of having direct communication
with the Far East and particularly with the
American possessions there He suggested
the construction and maintenance of a
cable line by either the government OF an
American corporation If by the latter 'un-
der such safeguards as congress might I'M
pose" but" he said II do not mean to
make any recommendations to congress as
to which of these methods would be the
most desirable Mr.. Scrymser said u
have observed that "a third suggestion has
been made-that there be combination
government and corporation line between
the United States and the Philippines,
which / understand has been favored by
the American Hawaiian commission
namely United States government cable
to Honolulu and an American corporation
cable to the philippines, China, Japan and
Australia. This latter scheme would be
case of putting private capital between the
devil and the deep sea.
Mr.. Scrynser went on to explain how the
Eastern Cable company an English cor
poration, by reason of vested rights, would
have monopoly, as far as telegraph cables
are concerned, of the entire Asiatic coast
and all Pacific islands now owned by Spain
or formerly under the jurisdiction OF that
country until the year 1910. He was OF
the opinion that no American cable COM
pany OF the United States government
could obtain the landing rights in the La
drones, Philippines, Hong Kong or at any
point on the Asatic coast without obtain
ing the consent of the Eastern Telegraph
company.
With reference to the action of the sec
rotary of state in disappearing, on De-
cember 80, the rights granted prior to an
neXati0n by the Hawaiian government to
the Pacific Gable company which author
lied the company to lay cables from Homo
lulu eastward, Mr.. Scrymser said: 1T
would have afforded working basis for an
adjustment of landing rights founded on
reciprocity. In the nature of things 1t is
clear that the Eastern Telegraph company
does not want any Pacific cable established
ana IL VIII not consent TO any impairment
of its rights unless fully compensated in a
manner that will safeguard its existing
interests.
Pacific Cable company is strongly of
the opinion that If it can secure the neces-
sary concessions from the United States
government 1t can induce the Eastern Tele-
graph company to consider a fair business
proposition especially when the British
company sees that 1t will be to its future
advantage
Mr.. Scrymser was of the opinion that
should the United States undertake to es-
tablish government cable, serious inter-
national complications would arise. 1t is
doubtful, he said. if China Japan or Aus
tralia would permit the United States gov
eminent TO operate n cable within its juris-
diction. The great cost to the government
of constructing and operating such a cable,
he added. would make it highly imprac-
ticabIe.
THE present situation In the East" said
Mr. Scrymser. rs exceedingly precarious |
No one knows what may happen there at |
any moment. Connection with the Philip |
pines may be cut off without notice at any |
time. The Japanese realize too, that a |
war between China and Russia would iso-
late them from the rest of the world and |
they are anxious that the United States
government should act promptly. The Pa
cltic Gable company has had a bill before
congress for some time asking for cable
in the Pacific"