New-York tribune., 1901-07-17
THE TRANSPACIFTC CABLE.

Mr.. Austen Chamberlaln's announcement con-
cerning the all-Britsh transpacfc cable is not
calculated to sound sweetly upon American
ears He says that the cable is being manu-
factured, the station houses are being erected.
the route is being surveyed, and by the end of
next year the enterprise will be completed.
There will then be direct telegraphic communi-
cation by way of Canada. between England
and Australia, and at every point where it is
not under the high seas the line will be under
the British flag 1t is a splendid work. 1t has
been energetically undertaken II will doubt
less be promptly completed. and will prove TO
be of great advantage to British commerce in
time OF peace. not to mention its value 10 the
British navy in time of war
The news. we have said. is not agreeable 10
Americans. That is because II is a reminder of
this country's strange dilatoriness and lack of
enterprise The United States has really greater
need OF such a cable than Great Britain has II
is in position TO lay one far more easily since
II owns n chain OF islands forming the best pos
sbe series of landing places across the Pacific
Yet it dilly-dallies over the matter some saying.
at cannot he done" and others fatuously favor
ing a roundabout shore line which would put
links in the chain under three or four alien
flags. The result is that in the face of Mr.
Austen Chamberlain's announcement this coun-
States is sitting still while the British Empire
goes ahead. And that is the case In the very
quarter where this country ought TO lead The
ocean OF the future is the Pacific The United
States, with it's vast frontage upon II and It's
Islands scattered all the way across II, ought 10
be the foremost commercial power upon II. But
commerce and communication go together And
II the direct cable communication from the other
side of the Pacific is with Vancouver. TO Van
couver travel and trade will come, rather than
to the Golden Gate.
1t Is discreditable, and worse that this coun-
try should suffer itself thus to be handicapped
and outstrlpped. In other directions IL is not
only surprising Great Britain but beating the
world" 1t sends Goals TO Newcastle in dozen
different ways-and sells them, too. But in this
matter of paramount Importance II lets itself
be disastrously beaten. Dsastrously we saw
because the construction of this British cable
Will make II far more difficult TO construct an
American one on a business basis 1t has long
been believed that while one Pacific cable would
pay there is business enough for only one and
no more. So the one which is laid first and
gets a monopoly Of business will be very
serious obstacle to the laying of another We
have no doubt that now the cry will be raised
here that second cable would not pay and
that therefore we would best depend upon tho
British cable. All the same il would he the
part of wisdom. from the commercial dinlo.
matte, naval and every other point of Wow
for this country to make haste to Law an all
American cable across the Pacific If Aneri
cans acted in this matter with the energy thev
have displayed in some other things. they n,ipht
even yet beat the British in the race