The evening times., 1900-06-19

to the development Of our national resourc-
es and internal trade and Industries. until
every part of the United States has b=fn
supplied with means Of rapid cOmmUuica-
tiOu and transportation, until every city,
town, and hamlet has been made 10 fe-l
the benefit of Industrial enterprise. our
uGy.gable lakes and rivers have been i'm
proved until our inland waters are dotted
with a merchant marine equa- 10 the pr $
eUt necessities of commerce. our agrieUl-
turdl lands and natural resources have been
developed until they are capable Ct prodUc-
ing sufficient product TO supply the MAJ kets
of the world The time has arrived IN cur
marvellous development when, in order 10
continue the march Of American progress,
We must reach out and command the com
merce Of the sea
Great Britain has achieved her CONNER
cial supremacy by the purchase or Col-
struction ard control Of the great canals;
by the acquisition OF territory and the e.
tablishment Of her colonies in every part
Of the world by the construction and own
ersElp ~ cables TO every part OF her Y ST
possessions. thereby securing RAPID commu-
nication at reasonable rates FOR her lade
and commerce. We should profit b. hsr
example and connect the waters o. The
oceans b. the Nicaragua Canal and join
together the islads of The Pacific with a
our Government for the benefit Of the peo-
pie, without profit or hope of gain, s-ya
the expansion Of our trade and the d.
velGpment of our merchant marine and
commerce.
Great Britain has officially had unde.
recent consideration a proposal for lay ne
a telegraphic cable between British No-, b
America, through the Pacific, to tle colo
MES of Australia.
Rear Admiral Brndford's Views.
Rear Admiral Bradford. United States
Navy, Chief Of the Bureau OF Equipment
in an argument in behalf OF a Government
cable between the United States anG its
insuIar possessions in the East. said:
This proposed cable Will not come in
competition with any established Amerf-
can interests except so far as the Ameri-
can Transatlantic lines share in the ex-
isting traffic between the United States
and the Orient. On the other hand. these
same lines viii secure a new and increas-
ing business by sharing in that portion OF
the traffic between Europe and the Orient
which will be carried BY the Pacific ca
bles.
Cheap cable tolls. probably one Of the
greatest Inducements that could be fur
nished by the Government 10 attract eapi-
Jal N tne development OF our island DOS
sessions, might not be secured through Z
subsidized company, even though the
rates are prescribed by law. CoIlusior
with other cable companies, for the pur.
pose of divertiug trar1tc from the Ameri
can cable, would make it possible for
subsidized company to show less receipt!
and thereby increase its subsidy
1t would be many years before the -raf.
hc would justify the construction OF Z
competing combination or trust. and thu!
/ deter any Independent private corporation
from attempting to compete with il.
There can be no doubt that d greater
efficiency of a cable would be secured un-
der Government operation. The aim of th,
department controlling It would be to han
| die all he traffic the cable could carry
The aim OF private company would b6
to make the most money possible. even Il
| by 50 doing the cable was idle much of ths
time, as is now the case with many exist
ing cables.
In time II war private ownership would
be Of no advantage. II our own country
were involved in war the fact that the ca
bic was private property would not prevent
the enemy from cutting it. In case of wal
between other countries Government own
ershlp might save a cable from injury. fol
the reason that a Government is in a posi-
! tion to guarantee to belIigerents that Meth
er shall secure an advantage over the 9TH
er in the use of a cable"
The present commercial rate from Wash
ington to Manila Is $23S per word. Gov
ernment rate s2.25 per word and the rats
for ight-of-way'' messages three times
the normal rate.