New-York tribune., 1902-07-26
THE PACIFIC CABLE.

Our special Washington correspondence yes
| terday gave by far the most clear and COM
plete account OF the status Of the Pacific cable
enterprise that has yet been publishd. On the
whole, it is n status which Americans will re-
gard with satisfaction; excepting two or three
details, we might say with hearty and entire
satisfaction. a cable is 10 be laid. That is the
dominant fact. 1t Is TO be laid speedily, It is to
touch nowhere save on American possessions
and it Is to be primarily at the service of the
United States Government. Moreover, ii may
be acquired I'm fee simple by this government
at any time on equitable terms. These feat
ures Of the case are all Just as they should he
and are 10 be unequivocally commended. In
view of them, we may perhaps waive the senti-
mental regret that has been felt at the foreign
construction and laying OF the cable. When
we consider the number Of railroads. bridges
and what not that Americans have built in for
eign lands, the balance OF the account is largely
in our favor.
The one serious objection TO the present en-
terprlse, to which we have hitherto given frank
expression. is that il seems to cOuntenance and
support the altogether undesirable monopoly
Of cable service IN the Philippines which IS
claimed by foreign company under n Spanish
ante-bellum grant. According to all that is
known the Commercial Pacific Cable Company
hluoI pay IlDulc 10 VI III SOllc way De subject
to the Eastern Extension Company For with
out the latter's permission no cable can be
landed In the Philippines. Such monopoly is,
we believe, contrary to good morals. The United
States Government ought to be able to lay its
own cable lines, If 1t wishes, between any two
points of It's own domain, without asking per
mission of an alien corporation, and any
American telegraph and cable company ought
to have the same privilege. If some other COM
paDy wants to lay a competing cable to the
Philippines, ii ought not to be barred from so
doing by an alien monopoly 1t is to be hoped
that the execution of the present enterprise
is not conditioned upon the maintenance of
such monopoly. but that in some honorable
way the United States will soon be able
to cancel that monOpolistic concession and to
establish an "open door" In the Philippines for
communication as well as for commerce
Another matter which has evoked unfavor-
able and apprehensive comment is the fact
that another European company assumes to
have for long term of years a monopoly of
cable service On the coasts of China. We be-
lieve It has received from the Chinese Govern
ment such a concession. We equally sure
that such a concession Is direct violation of
China's treaty with the United States, a viola
tion which should not be oondoned Any
American company ought to be free to land a
cable upon the Chinese coast, as free as is the
company which now claims a monopoly of that
privilege and according to the treaty China
cannot deny that right. 1t is a right which
should be insisted upon, for 1t is one which
we may presently want to exercise. The cable
TO the Philippines will not be entirely
plete and efficient until It is extended thence
to China and to Japan. OF course, 1t would be
awkward for the United States to protest
against this monopoly in China while it is toer-
ating q similar one In its own Philippines. That
is simply another and a strong argument for
abrogating the Philippine monopoly at the
earliest possible moment.