New-York tribune., 1902-08-09
To LAY PACIFIC CABLE
PRESIDENT DECIDES FOR
4CKAEBENNETT co.
FIRST WORD MAY BE RECEIVED AT
MANILA FOURTEEN MONTHS AFTER
BEGINNING OF WORK
IRT TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE ]

TELEGRAPH THE TRIStNEl
ovster Bay. Long Island Aug. S.-President
Roosevelt has consented to authorize the Pacific
commercial Gable Company 10 lay a cable across
.bc P.,ifc Ocean 70 the Philippines This state
,r-u. was made by Attorney General Knox to a
--r5r.,ne conservative at oyster Bay station
sffer he had returned from Sagamore Hill At
,.,lor], fhfs afternoon. The gigantic enterprise
f.r p-hich permission has been sought by vaVi-
,is l..rse corpora items IN the last fifteen years
has e rast received sanction. and the constant
fight between opposing interests is at an end
7, is eyp-.-e5 that the construction of the
cable VIII ic begun At once. The route Will he
from, SAL FraE-isco to Guam and thence to
Manila Tle work TviIl. Of course, cost millions
of dollars / = estimated that the first word
may De teleera9hec within fourteen months
from tbs time the labor is begun. barring un-
foreseea inpediments The controlling stock in
thts company is owned by James Gordon Ben
nett and Clarence Hunserford Mackay, son OF
the late John W Mackay- whose ambition was
to succeed in laying a cable to the Philippines.
The decision of the President to-day was
made largely on the advice OF Attorney General
Knox who has been considering the applicatio
of the Commercial Gable Company for permis-
sion 10 lay the cable for several months There
has been lively correspondence between Saga
more Hill and the Attorney Generals depart
settled this afternoon and the Mackay- Bennett
ue9p3e may begin work Immediately under the
conditions set forth in . formal application
FLED with The President and Mr- Knoxs de-
partma!- several months ago To this appli-
cation however. Attorney General Knox has
addeG FIVE important notifications which must
b. conceded. The proposal is subject to con-
frmatior by Congress but legislative action
neeC not be awaited TO begin the preliminary
work
In the additional clauses which will be COM
rnunicate5 10 the Mackay y-Bennett people by At
torney General Knox provision is made, in the
interest of the government which is designed
TO meet the objections made to the Corliss and
Hale bills which failed TO pass at the last ses-
sion Of Congress. BY the terms OF the revised
document the United States in the first place
reserves tne right TO control the cables abso-
lutely in time of war. The other notifications
That the Postmaster General shall dictate the
terms of transmission.
THAT the Pacific Commercial Cable Company
shall agree 10 relinquish all its rights and fran
chise to the government whenever directed to DO
so for the amount Of appraisement to be pro
nouaced by board of arbitrators selected IN
ThaI a prescribed speed Of transmission be
THAT the Commercial Pacific Gable Company
lay a ca bic between Manila and a port in emma
yet to be agreed upon
Heretofore all messages have been sent to the
Philippines over an English cable line from
Hong Kong This cable company has a fran
chise monopoly granted by the Celestial govern
raent Under the favored nation clause Of the
treaty between the United States and China
this government has the right TO claim SIM
lar franchise for American cable company
II will take advantage of the treaty, and by
getting q terminal in China the cable company
will obtain seven hundred miles Of new cable
lines. Then the Pacific cable will connect with
the Atlantic cable lines in China. and messages
may be sent to all parts of the world by Anleri-
can cables
In return for the required notifications it
has been decided to permit the Commercial Pa
cifc Cable Company to use the charts Of the
Pacific Ocean made by the United States navy
and the Coast and Geodetic Survey On this
point there has been a lively contest. 1t being
held by some private interests that these maps
and government surveys were public properly
while on the other hand, the administration
authorities have contended that they should be
held confidential sinews Of war. Prooably
the most valuable charts which may be used IN
The constructing Of the cable are the soundings
made by the government tug Pluto 1t is as
serted thar with these charts the cable may be
laid in twelve fourteen months, whereas II
new charts had to be made its completion
would be delayed another year.
Attorney General Knox said that. considering
the concessions required Of the cable company
he believed thai under TINS agTeeIlert !sce.r the
cable line would be just as satisfactory as
government cable possibly could be. He called
attention TO the bills introduced at the last ses-
sion OF Congress, and expressed the bellef tnat
The modified proposal as submitted TO the Com
nlerciaI Pacific Gable Company would satisfy
The objections made to the Hale and Corlss
bills. which failed TO pass both houses
II is understood that an agreement VIII be
made fixing 20 cents as the cost to the govern
Is 81 - word