Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-10
PRESIDENT GIVES CONSENT
Application Of the Commercial Pacific Gable
Company is Granted.
aoVERNMENT IS TO EXERCISE CONTROL
Also Reserves the Right TO Purchase
Property at Actual value, to Re
Deternsinea 81 five Dis
interessed Persons.

OYSTER BAY, Aug. s.-President Rooee-
welt today made public the consideration
under which he will approve the plan to
connect the United States with its Pacific
Oriental possessions By cable. The sub
Joined memorandum clearly states the po-
sitien Of the president.
TO the conditions which he has formu-
lated the Pacific Commercial company or
any other similar organization must accede
before President Roosevelt win stamp the
project with his approval.
The memorandum is not q contract. II
simply defines q situation in which the
president will consent to the laying Of the
cable. It is quite likely that an act Of
congress- ratifying the conditions imposed
will be necessary, but that Is another story.
Thus iaF the only proposition Of z respon-'
sihle and dehnite character that has been
made to the government to lay a Pacific
cable has come from the Pacific Commercial
company. That this proposition made by
Thomas r. Clark on behalf OF the company
was not born entirely Of a philanthropic
desire to aid the government is pretty
clearly indicated by the following letter OF
Attorney General Knox to the president:
Letter es General Knox.
..MARLBoRoUoH HOUSE. ATLANTIC
fi heaTswastn Yste aSs' a. 1 psp s yoar F 6irsction
letter Of Thomas r. CLARK. dated drly Is,
addressed 20 the secretary OF state and
10 me with direction thai .aaswer be fur
.ninhed 70 you. The answer 10 this letter
ii respect 70 the matters referred 70 there
In have been carefully considered and safe
guarded. ! enclose for your information a
were Willis 10 consent 70 The laying q
the Pacific cable. Mr.. Clark"s letter seems
predicated on the theory that the gov
ertEnent did not understand the fall sit-
uhtlon. You will observe that the con-
diuons you have approved 50 mitch fur
ttRer \ Mr.. Clerks sugsestion: for
United tsates and the commercial inter-
ests Of lie people Very respectfully,
p. c. KNOX, Attorney General
The memorandum Of the conditions pro-
posed by the executive was as follows:
The president, having duly considered
said application, herewith consents that
the company may lay, construct land,
cables on the Facinc coast q the United
9tateas N the various territorial waters
q the United statss,, TO connect the. city
Midway Islands and the Island OF Guam,
I poins on he eossss Of n ths empire iSs1 1f ch anS
not yat determined.
) Conditions Of Consent.
Il IL conditional to the granting of con-
sent that the company Is 70 file Its written
S ~kisg ecsss Ss 'R Is sissn. s toow fpnais ms on
l. That The company has not received any
escluslvs eoneeaslon Or priyilese and e not
iess, such as wo6ld exclude any other com
Bs sas 81 81 .8 S4nseEa rom Io5ms obti II sRs the v paiyil
lege Of ianding its cable OF cables on the
s sssis iSisness n Or Inland q s0HiIa ines 81 China sRiim T anS
said company is successor or assigns, will
Res rsessxs es become Pee s,seh assoslsssa With 4
not combined Of associated ITSELF with any
dsen. Tor the purp5ss Of rtesIslins rates
hetwten points in American territory or
sssyseee q 'e osRst a 5sienat ear J Roles IN China
Thet the. eempany,,s cable shall touch
q no other shen AmsFican territory o., sAs
.nese empife. The line fFoni the Philippines
q china snail pe eqnstfgcted ~ said com,
foreign companies or cencerna.
Reasenahle hates to Ne Charged.
3 That the rates 70 be charged for COM
nerclai messages shall be reasonable and
> no case Ia excess OF the tari9 set forth
~ REPRESENTATION ssR2Ts Noi ~ aSsse
4Fef session. signed b. 0eorEe q. Ward.
Ytee. president OF the ~commerclal Pacific
Beck SECRETARY. WITH pfoporlionase rates
fof lnlermedlA1e pgtnts.
That the government of the United
States or any department thereof, its ON
GERS. agents and iusular or territorial gov.
er1m4nf4. upon the route OF such cable,
, have priority for their cahl8gfama.. On
cauIeGrame 70 them, over AL other business
a. such rates as the postmaster genera
elalI annually uE
s That the United States shall. AZ al
times have the right 10 purchase the cable
iiEc4. property and effects Of the said com.
ANY At an appraised value 20 be astef-
ts.ne4 ~ olsinterested persons. two Ia b
selected ~ the postmaster general, two
BY the company Or concern interested and
the NTH ~ the four previously selected.
Authorits 20 Assume control
That the government Of the Unllet
States email have authority 70 assume ful
control % the said cable when "a war Oh
when var "a threatened
Nhat an conlracfa entered into By IN,
eaid company with foreign governments fol