Newport daily independent. (Newport, Ark.) 1901-1929, 1913-08-19
Canada Plans Exclusive Service
Across Atlantic Ocean.
Does Not Like the Idea of Being De-
pendent Upon the Big Companies
of the United States--Will
Supplement Cables.

ST. Johns N. F-The recent an
nouncement by the Canadian postmas-
ter general l.. p. Pelletier, that tho
dominion government intends to ee-
tablish system Of wireless stations
to supplement the transatlantic capie
services, indicates the importance
which Canada attaches to the utlliza-
ton of this agency. The cable com
panies are equally alive to the need
of special efforts to cope with the
growing use of the wireless by sea
and land, fact instanced by there
being in the world today 2,624 RADIO
telegraphic stations, of which $50 are
coast stations, 1852 are on vessels OF
the mercantile marine and 964 on
warshlps.
At the outset it may not be am1ss
to point out that with the Anglo
American, Western Union and Direct
United States Cable companies form
ing one merger; the Commercial CaDle
company maintaining another IN con
junction with the German cables, ana
both being controlled by American
capital and executive officers, the rea-
sons for a British controlled, state
owned cable system and wireless
system, as an alternative that can De
utilized in any emergency. are greatly
accumulated. Similarly, as all the eA-
listing transatlantic cable companies
have seen it to be technically anu
financially advantageous to land their
cables on the shores of Newfoundland
the last four years and to pay annual
landing taxes of $4,000 to $4,000 FOR
the right to do so, NeWfoundiahu
would seem to be the obvious place
also to land any proposed new All
Red" cable or wireless system.
Newfoundland enjoys the distinc-
ton of being the birthplace or trans
oceanic telegraphy, both by wire ana
wireless. In August, 1858. more than
fifty years ago. Cyrus Field lalo the
first submarine cable between Kerry
Ireland and Trinity bay, Newfound-
land. and in December. 1901, Gugllei
mo Marconl received at ST. johns the
first electric signals through his WIRE
less medium transmitted across Z'ooo
miles of space from his station al
Poldhu, England.
II NAV he taken for granted that the
imperial and Canadian authorities can
scarcely view with equanimity the ac'
oujsjtion by Americans OF one group
of transatlantic cables which contains
the only one of British identity IN inc
lot-namely. the Anglo American
while another purely American organ
ization, the Commercial CaDie COIN
pany. controls the second group. there.
by depriving the British empire Oh
any direct supervision or these supHi"
r;ne agencies. 1t Is quite true, OF
course that under the imperial laws
the British government could assume
control of cable stations at the lano-
ing places in the British isles IN the
event of war or other emergency ana
that similar powers are vested IN inc
governments OF Canada and New
foundland, where these cables nave
their western terminals.
There are now seventeen WORKING
cables across the Atlantic. distributed
as follows:
-Four Anglo-American cables be-
tween the British isles and America
via Hearts Content, Newfoundland.
Three Westert Union cables. one
between theeDritish isles and America.
via Fay Roberts. Newfoundland ana
two via Canso, Nova Scotia. e
Ons direct United States cable be-
tween the British isles and America
via Harbor Grace. Newfoundland
Five Commercial cables. two be-
tween the British isles and America