The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-08-25
TIE CABLE IS IN
ADJUNCT u un.
CAPTAIN soUIK1 DISCUSSES
THEIR INFLUENCE UPON
NAVAL suP1EHAcx.
The Vast Importance TO the United
States of Deep Sea Cables to
Al the Island Possess
sions.


Newport the other day subject which
from his treatment. had distinctly
new and important aspect During the
past few years the submarine cable
has developed into an adjunct of tbs
fleet on the sea and the brigade on land.
1t has shown its value as an accessory
/ of naval and military strategy and is a
/ worthy topic to be discussed at such
a session as that at Newport, and by
such an officer as Captain Squier, who
is able to speak authoritatiyely upon
his chosen subject. the influence OF
submarine cables upon military and
naval supremacy
| Captain Squier said the record of the
| Spanish-American war is largely "a
| story OF coal and cables" and that a
modern war between two naval powers
| would reduce itself to war of these
two elements. He pointed out that at
present the submarine telegraph is a
| powerful instrument Of war, more pow
erful. indeed. than battle ships and
| ruisers, since by wonderful and instan-
| taneous communications of thought II
! brings distant countries and colonies
together in sympathy, which is the
only true and permanent tie. The ad-
vance made in electricity and the de-
velopment of the telegraph and tele-
phone has made these two devices
more valuable in commercial trans
actions of the world. and has presented
them as veritable arms in the prosecu-
ton of war. The value of controlling
land telegraphs and submarine cables,
therefore, has not been overstated Ly
Captain Squier. The nation which
possesses submarine communications
not owned or controlled by an enemy
occupies an advantageous position IN
any conflict, and owns feature in Of
Tense and defense which is worth entire
fleets. As Captain Squier says, tine
very foundation of successful naval
Istrategy is efficient and exclusively con-
trolled communications, and the lack Of
them more serious than inferiority in
ships"
Great Britain, Captain Squier point
ed out, promptly recognized the value
of the submarine cable and was not to
be discouraged by heavy losses in the
initial experimentation and establish
ment. Today that nation possesses
network of submarine telegraphic ca
bles. and finds in the great system an
important ally to her famous navy.
Captain Squier furnished to the naval
experts at Newport an account of tne
cable system of Great Britain. and adj
ded: .An essentialsand necessary con
dition which is guided differentiation
of this cable system has been that
none of the lines shall touch foreign
SOIL So important has been this prin-
ciple in the proposed British Pacific
cable that we find Great Britain for
some years ago anxiOusly negotiating
for sovereignty over an Insignificant
island in the Hawaiian group upon
which to land her proposed cable 10
Australasia. and failing in this we find
her boldly ready to land a single span
of cable, of over $500 nautical miles in
length from Vancouver to Tanning ISL
and. for the sole material reason that
the cable shall touch only soil eXclus-
lively owned and controlled by Great
Britain. This principle will be bought
in this case at the price of permanently
placing at a disadvantage British cable
traffic in the Pacific. since the United
States by the annexation of the Ha-
waiian Islands can reach the East
across the broad Pacific by cables hav-
ing no single span longer than the
present Atlantic cables, but yet adhere
to the same principle of landing only
on territory belonging to the United
States
ka rf he Iii fish Do
cific cable added to the already extern
siye state-owned land-line system viii:
give England the most complete tele-
graphic system in existence. placing in
direct communication each with the
other such fortified and garrisoned
coaling stations as Hongkong. Singa-
pore. Trincomalee, Colombo, Alden,
Cape Town. Simons Bay. St Helena,
Ascension. st. Lucia. Jamaica. Berms-
da. Halifax. Esquimalt, King Georges
Sound and Thursday Island, while the
following defended ports will be SINH
larly connected: Durham. Karachi
Bombay. Madras. Calcutta. Rangoon
Adelaide. Melbourne, Hobart. Sydney,
Brisbane, Townsville, Auck
land Wellington. Lyttletown and Dun
edin.
Captain Squier discussed the objects |
and benefits Of the proposed colonial |
system for the United |
not delaying In the establishment OF 3
system OF submarine cables under the |
exclusive control Of this government. |
which win not only place every part Of |
our new possessions In direct commit |