Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-09-05
Canada Plans Exclusive Service
Across Atlantic Ocean.
Does Not Like the Idea Of Being De-
pendent Upon the Big Companies
Of the United states-Wili
Supplement Cables.

ST. Johns N. F.-The recent an
nouncement by the Canadian postmas-
ter general, l.. P. Pelletier, that the
dominion government intends to ee-
tablish a system of wireless stations,
to supplement the transatlantic cable
services, indicates the Importance
which Canada attaches to the utiliza-
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, a fact instanced by there
being in the world today 1924 radio
telegraphic stations, of which $50 are
coast stations, 1882 are on vessels OF
the mercantile marine and s64 on
warships.
At the outset II may not be amiss
to point out that with the Anglo
American, Western Union and Direct
United States Cable companies form
ing one merger; the Commercial Cable
company maintaining another In con
junction with the German cables. and
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 be
utilized In any emergency. are greatly
accumulated. Similarly, as all the ex
isting transatlantic cable companies
have seen 1t to be technically and
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 fol
the right to do so, Newfoundland
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 OF trans
oceanic telegraphy, both by wire and
wireless. In August, 1858. more thar
fifty years ago. Cyrus Field laid the
first submarine cable between Kerry
Ireland, and Trinity bay, Newfound
land. and in December. 1901. Gugliel
mo Marconi received at st. Johns the
first electric signals through his wire
less medium transmitted across 1000
miles Of space from his station a.
Poldhu. England.
II may be taken for granted that the
imperial and Canadian authorities car
scarcely view with equanimity the &C
quisItion by Americans of one grouI
of transatlantic cables which contains
the only one of British identity in thu
lot-namely. the Anglo-American-
while another purely American organ
ization, the Commercial Cable com
pany, controls the second group. there
by depriving the British empire o
any direct supervision Of these subma
rine agencies. II is quite true. o
course. that under the imperial law
the British government could assume
control of cable stations at the land
ing places in the British Isles in thu
event of war or other emergency, ant
that similar powers are vested In thu
governments of Canada and New
foundland, where these cables hav'
their western terminals.
There are now seventeen working
cables across the Atlantic, distributes
as follows:
Four Anglo-American cables be
tween the British isles and America
via Hearts Content. Newfoundland.
Three Western Union cables, on
between the British isles and America
via Bay Roberts, Newfoundland. an
two via Canso. Nova Scotia.
One direct United States cable be
tween the British isles and America
via Harbor Grace. Newfoundland.
Five Commercial cables. two bs
tween the British isles and America