Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1902-08-13
FOR A PACIFIC CABLE'
AN AGREEMENT IS REACHED.
VIII Be American Owned and Oper-
Roosevelt and Knox Have Given
Assent and Work May BE Ex-
pected to Commence Soon.

pected to Commence Soon.
Oyster Bay, Aug. 11.-Terms upon
which the desired concessions will be
granted for the laying of a cable
across the Pacific to the Philippines
were discussed at length between the
president and Attorney General Knox
recently.
Several months ago the Pacific
mercial Gable company sought permits.
sion from the executive branch of the
government to lay Pacific cable
running from San Francisco via Homo,
lulu and Guam to China, there to con
meet with British cable to the Philip
pines. The proposition of the com.
pany was to assume all expense of op-
Grating the cable. For the concessions
of the ladings at San Francisco, Homo
lulu and Guam the company proposed
to grant to the United States govern
ment special rates and in certain con
ditions of war practically absolute con.
presented by the company to the presi
dent, were naturally such as any cor.
poration might make. They had been
drawn for the company's interests. Mr.
Roosevelt referred the whole subject
to Attorney General Knox with a re
quest that he go carefully over the
proposed conditions, eliminating such
as he might regard as impracticable
and adding such others as he might
believe would subserve the interests
of the government. The results of his
investigation and his conclusions Mr.
Knox presented to Mr.. Roosevelt ir
verbal form, the papers in the matter
having been laid before the president
Mr.. Roosevelt approved of the amend.
ed conditions and so far as the exc
cutive branch of the government is
concerned the company now may pro
coed with the work of laying the
cable.
1t is regarded as essential, however
that the conditions be ratified by act
of congress, as some doubt exists
whether the executive branch of the
government alone can grant such priv
leges as are included in the Pacific
Commercial Cable company's PROPOSE
ton.
The conditions as approved by Mr..
Roosevelt are regarded as particularly
favorable to the government, and it is
ho1;avad +hof with tho oord;o1 ipdorca
ment which he will give in his mes
sage in December. congress will ratify
the conditions without serious delay
Attorney General Knox added sew.
eral important conditions to those pro-
posed by the company, including
these:
That the United States government
at all times shall have priority of ser.
vice; that the government, through the
postmaster general, as is customary in
such contracts, shall have the right to
fix the rates to be charged by the com
pany; that in time of war the govern
ment shall have the right absolutely to
control the cable; that in order to pro-
ICeI hoI oiiiy Ihe government, DuI dloO
individual private customers of the
company, the Pacific Commercial
Gable company is required to lay a
distinct line of cable from China to
Manila, so that it will not be neces
sary to depend upon the British com.
pany which now controls the only
cable from Hong Kong to Manila;
and, finally, that the United States
at any time after the completion of
the line may purchase the line at an
appraised valuation to be fixed by ar.
bitrators selected in the usual manner
by the two parties to the transaction.
BY those who have studied the sub.
ject it is believed that a cable laid
under the conditions proposed will be,
to all intents and purposes, a govern.
ment cable line with few If any of the
disadvantages attendant upon govern
ment construction and maintenance.
Under the United States treaty with
China, the Chinese government has
granted to British company the right
to it's domain, and will be obliged to
grant to the Pacific Commercial Cable
company, an American corporation,
the same right. This will enable the
company not only to land its San Fran.
cisco line in China, but also will ena.
BILE it to obtain a Chinese terminus
for it's line to Manila.
In the laying of it's cable lines the
company has been accorded the right
to use the United States government
soundings.
Attorney General Knox is inclined to
the opinion that tie company will i'm.
mediately proceed to construct its
lines. Considerable time will be re.
quired for the preliminary arrange
ments before the actual laying of the
cable begins, but it is regarded now as
certain that an American owned and
operated cable line to the Orient is in
t-~1,k