The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-04

graph cables which today encircIe a
large part of the entire world, and the
principle of absolute ownership has
come to be a controlling one in Eng
lands future cable policy. Submarine
cable communication is scarcely fifty
years old, yet the British empire is al
ready bound together is one vast intel
Hgence transmission system. with Lon
don as its center This system is and
has been a principal element of her
strength. not only making possible a
government of subjects differing widely
in character, habits and thought, but
placing in the hands of the British en-
pire a powerful means Of real dominion
over the rest of the world.
Great Britain. France Austria. Prus-
STA, Russia, Sardinia, Italy. Spain. Por-
tuSal and Belgium have each establish
ed a state telegraph system. The cable
policy of Great Britain has been that
none of its lines shall toucn foreign
soil.
Long Span In Pacific.
The proposed British Pacific cable
has been before that government for a
number of years and its construction
is assured. To avoid outside jurisdic-
ton a single span of over 8, 500 nautical
miles will be laid from Vancouver to
Tanning island In the Atlantic. the
Pacific and the Indian oceans Great
Britain is now preparing new cables 70
connect her possessions at an estimated
expense of $50, 0oe,OOO.
Since the entrance of the United
States upon a colonial policy the United
States signal corps has made every ef-
( fort to cover Cuba. Porto Rico and the
Philippine archipelago with network
of wires, so as to insure complete and
reliable intercommunicatiOn In Cuba
the land telegraph system, as recon
structed by the signal corps agSre-
gates $500 miles, including central
trunk line the entire length Of the ISL
and In addition. there are thirteen
lines across the island, dividing it M
into compare lively small sections. In
Porto Rico every important commercial
and military point is in Geographic
/ connection by lines entirely recon
! structed since the disastrous hurricane
in August, 1899. In the Philippine ISL
ands there are $500 miles of land lines
in operation and 200 miles of inter-isl-
and and lake cables, all built by the
3 United States signal corps since the
battle of Manila bay. In Luzon alone
/ the messages average $500 words
dailv
/ An Alaskan telegraph system is now
/ in process of perfection, but Canadian
/ lines viii have to be awaited OF fol
! through connection
Urges American Gable In Pacific.
] AS Is KNOW II. the DlOIEtL UL Il 1AA4AEt
/ States Pacific cable has been agitateC
] for some years. The pressure in thi!
! direction will be intensified now, in or
I der to bring this country in close tOuCl
with its colonies. Captain Squier esti
I mates that the entire cost for this and
for d direct cable from the UniteC
States to Porto Rico will be S25Q00,OOo
By this. he says, that the United State'
( can secure strategic advantages, mill
. tary. naval and political, necessary L
. her position as a world power.
! . In time Of war submarine cables ar
+ practically at the mercy of a belligeren
/ who can get at them, but some respon
I sibility attaches to any radical inter
ference with q neutral cable.
Captain Squier declares an interna
( tional cable conference lisa necessity o
the near future to determine modes o
procedure in time of war.
He says a new type Of naval ship j
to make its appears nce-a specially de
signed cable ship The cable cruise
viii be an essential part of the new
navy of the near future. She must b
provided with all cable appliances an
be capable in that connection of Offens
and defense. In case of government ca
bles. there should be no publication o
maps showing their location in tn
] deep sea, and the cable landing of tn
future should partake Of the characte
of a. fort and be provided with adeuuat
means to resist enemies.
J. :. VAN ANTWERP.