The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1903-08-14
VALUE Oh NEW CABLE
New Lines Advantages Told
by Government Officials.
Assistant Secretary oil State LoomIs
Tells of It's Worth In Conn
merce as Well as i'm War.

Assistant Secretary Of State Loomis.
who has supervision Of the consular
service, Is most enthusiastic over the
advantages that will follow the open
ing OF the new Pacific cable, saws the
Philadelphia Press. In discussing the
| Improvement he said:
Every railway line and cable line
| that Is built through the undeveloped
| portions of the world Is a gain to ctyi-
liZation because with 1t commerce and
trade follow. This Is illustrated In the
villages and towns in the west
This cable will be of great adyan-
tage to every department Of the gov
ernment, but of particularly great serv-
| Ice to the navy, enabling the depart
ment to convey orders to the officers
OF the ships at points which hitherto
they have not been able to reach. II
Will be Of tremendous advantage I'm
time Of war. Then a cable line con
Meeting the United States with the
orient will be of great convenience I'm
the consular service. In case we wish
ed to direct our consular agents to pro-
ceed to China or Japan we could reach
them before arrival at their destina-
ton and change their orders II neces-
sary"
The operations of a squadron OF
American war vessels in AsiatIc wa
ters will be a much more simple mat
ter with an American cable at the dis
posal of the navy department. Rear
Admiral Henry G. Taylor, chief of the
bureau Of navigation, appreciates the
value of this new line Of communica-
ton. Zone great advantage" he said.
rs that the line Will be under the con
troll of the United States, and In time
or war; or when war is threatened, our
government at home will be able to
receive at all times prompt and correct
accounts Of the situation in the Philip
pines and in the Asiatic regions.
Its value is apparent to any one
who Will look at the geography OF the
region. Cables were in vogue before
for telegraphing, and messages in or
binary times went along tolerably we'll
without any considerable delay by most
of the transatlantic cables, the Euro
pean and Asiatic cables out to the Phil
ippines, but that, of course. gave con
siderable trouble by delays and by
passing through so many hands.
have received Cablegrams myself In
Korea, for instance, from this country
which had become entirely unintelli-
gible in the course of transmission"
Few officials of the government have
spent more money in cable messages
than Colonel Clarence Edwards. chief
Of the bureau of insular affairs of the
war department. He felt like throwing
up his cap when the word came that
the Pacific cable had been landed on
northern LuZOn. He has TO keep In
daily and almost hourly touch with the
Philippines, and this new line means
more to his bureau probably than to
any other department of the govern
ment Expressing his delight, Colonel
Edwards said:
The completion of the commercial
cable line from San Francisco to Ma
Mia will mark a new era in the trans
mission Of messages to the orient. The
bic when one considers not only the re-
duction In rate, but that under the
present system cablegrams have to be
relayed eighteen times between Wash
ingtOn and Manila. Hereafter there
will be but six relays. Under the pres
ent system government cables have to
go through the hands of operators Of
almost every nationality; but with the
Inauguration of the new service we
will have all English speaking oper-
atOrs, thus securing greater accuracy.
The new cable service Will be a great
saving to the government. The gov
ernment will now pay 80 cents from
San Francisco to Manila, plus the do
mestic rate, which is a total reduction
Of about one-half."
In directing the opera tions Of the
treasury department Secretary Shaw
has to have his fingers on the ends of
the earth, as 1t were. Information
from every quarter of the globe is
necessary at times, and the quicker 1t
can be received the more valuable It
Is. This is especially true Of the imml-
grafton bureau in the treasury depart
ment, and Commissioner General Sar-
gent, who has recently extended his
personal examination of the service as
far as Honolulu, is impressed with the
advantage the new Pacific cable will
be. In discussing that feature OF its
benefits the commissioner said:
Its value to our service cannot be
calculated by figures. 1t puts US In
daily touch with our officials and is OF
the greatest advantage in the admin
istration of the immigration laws In
connection with the Island Of Hawaii"
Some idea Of the Importance attach
ed to the completion of this cable by
government officials Is furnished IN the
above expression. 1t Is regarded at
Washington as a great national event.
Cheap Rates TO San Francisco.
For the 6. A. r. encampment at San
b bo n g