Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-17
THE TRANS-PACIFlC CABLE
Strong Arguments for Its Immediate Con-
struotion by This Country
Choice of Routes-Necessity Seems to
Favor Havaii-Cost of Cabling
to Philippines Now.

now before the American people. One is
the digging Of the isthmus canal and the
other is the construction of a trans-Paclhc
CABLE. Hardly any other enterprises are so
important for the commercial extension OF
this country today. They are mutually re-
lated ard will operate closely together and
neither can be delayed much longer.
From a vast amount of material it is only
possible to give a few reasons why Pa
circ cable should be laid; to point to the
best available route, and add some grounds
for the conclusion, which l hold very
strongly why such a cable should be con-
structed and controlled by the United
States government.
As TO the necessity Of a Pacific cable, a
few facts make it obvious that further
argument is unnecessary. Look first at the
Hawaiian Islands. Their position is unique.
They extend over several hundred miles of
longitude in the middle of the ocean. There
is no land within >, 100 miles in any direc-
ton. They constitute a civilized commu-
nifty with high-class government; and yet
they are entirely cut off from Geographic
communication. they are nearly a week
away from the rest of the civilized world.
There il no other example of civilized
community in such isolation. A Hawaiian
cable was a necessity some years ago. and
has been urged upon Congress at different
times Now that the islands are under the
American flag the necessity is still more
obvious.
In addition, however, to the special needs
of those islands, they have new impor-
tanCe as constituting one link in the great
trans-Pacitic route between the United
States, the Philippines and China and
Japan. The whole aspect of the question
has been changed by the acquisition of the
Philippines. We are paying now about
81 900 day for War Department messages
alone 10 the Philippines, and it is estimated
that the other departments paying in
addition one-fourth of that sum. so that
the government service costs US over $780,
OOp year now, which is the interest, at 8
per cent. ON over S13,UO.oOO.
Two main routes have been proposed for
our Pacific cable. One is direct cable to
the Hawaiian Islands from San Francisco;
thence TO Guam and the Philippines. The
other. the northern route. is via Alaska
the Alertian Islands, the kurile group and
Japan
This northern route is urged by citizens
of Alaska and those interested in develop
ing its resources on the assumption that 1t
Is better to include Alaska on the Philip
pine cable route than to go via Hawaii:
they argue also that the distance would be
shorter to the Philippines by this way.
There can be no question that We shall
need to have an Alaskan cable; but the
adoption Of this route as a means of reach
ing the east Is open TO grave objections.
in the first place, ca bic from the United
States to Hawaii would be just as neces-
sarN as before; in the second place the
United States would be Obliged to establish
the line TO the Philippines by obtaining
concessions from foreign powers. The
Alaska route would require some fifteen
separate stations, of which about half
would he under Japanese control. Some GIT
miles of this would also run over Russian
territory and require other concessions The
Great Northern Telegraph Company a
Danish corporation, is in a great cable pool
with the Eastern Extension Telegraph
Company. 1t has exclusive rights on the
Siberian coast, and also between Asia and
Japan Ii is not likely that it would make
concessions which would directly divert
European traffic from its own extensive
system to the American route. Even if the
Great Northern Company permitted land
ing in kamchatka. the frequent Interrupt
tons incident TO the Siberian lines and the
cost Of operating them would add to the
uncertainty and expense Of the service
In any route between the United States
and the Philippines two objects should be
held in view. independence of foreign con-
1r"l and a reduction in the cost of trans
mission. Both Of these conditions are fur
nished by the route from San Francisco to
Honolulu. thence TO Guam and the Philip
pines message to Luzon in this way
could he sent by four cable transmfssions
Such a cable would touch only American
soil. and would be free not only from the
assessments and obligations involved in
passing through foreign territory but
would also avoid all foreign complications
The question which Cyrus Field and the
projectors of the Atlantic cable had to meet
was Is it practicable? The question has
long since been decided for the Atlantic
ocean. The experience gained there and in
other parts of the world enables US to meet
the Pacific problem with entire confidence
W non the northern route via Alaska was
first prujt cted by the English government.
with a view 10 establish a line from Canada
to Australia, 1t was supposed that there
Were fnsuperable difficulties which would
prevent the use of the southerly route
Through the surveys made of the bed of
the Pacific by the United States steamer
Ns'lH. under command Of Comma r16a
Brlkndp, l. 5. N, the entire practicabiIity
Of that route has been placed beyond mes
ton \ preliminary report of this survey,
winch was begun last April, shows us some
things t. avoid on the route via Midway
island one Of them is a subrna rfne noun
tain short distance west of Midway
island II rises from the floor of the ocean
to within eightytwo fathoms of the sur
lace from depth of > 200 fathoms The
other obstacle is just the reverse 1t is
one 81 the deepest submarine holes in the
world IL is 1890 fathoms in depth Two
such mountains as Pixies Peak dronned
Int" T. one on the top Of the other, would
not flS- above the top Of the water. This
abyss j. about 500 miles east of Guam Pv
q SUM- detour, however, the ocean noun
avoided.
Let me say in conclusion that have the
strongest conviction that the government
Of the United States ought 10 Law and cone
trol the Pacific cable. IL will furnish efn-
Client service to commerce and be very
'lp9-iS Ttldted 10 the mall service The
lrans-Pacific mail is run by the Post Office
department, and this great public work
shoIii be operated in close connection with
the traHs-Pacitic mail system.
neither considered as an agent of d.
plomlcE or of commerce. as an adjunct of
our military service to guard us from sud
den attack, as an auxiliary to the weather
bureau 70 announce approaching storms as
a protection to the public health advising
Us OF plaques or pestilence or as an i'm
pprtstnt ally 10 the isthmus canal, the Pa
clilc cable is CT the greatest Importance and
shpuid be under the control Of the United
States government
In recent visit to England in the sery-
Ice 81 the government, Il became the
Wrlt"rS duty to investigate the subject of
u'-F-~'a cables, not only from a technical
standpoint, but also in relation to their
u.s. Tor colonial service. 1t may be said
ti.tt thr English government has PRACTICAL
y com" 10 the conclusion, after much ex-
ptfhHce that such cables must be under
srN, iiiih'ht control Let us profit by En-
6isR example. This is not a matter for
a u''S or year. II Is a matter for a long
io'hF'- II Is great national question We
nave HOW no cable ships flying the Amari-
Sah nag But We can build them make a
edoI' lay 1t. operate IL and save 10 tba
american people millions OF dollars tbat
are spent abroad 'ii91'