Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-08-14
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
ter general, L. p. Peiletier, that the
dominion government intends to es-
tablish a system of wireless stations,
20 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, 1852 are on vessels of
the mercantile marine and 964 on
warships.
At the outset it 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
accentuated Similarly, as all the eX-
listing transatlantic cable companies
have seen it 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 for
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 than
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 at
Poldhu, England.
1t may be taken for granted that the
imperial and Canadian authorities can
scarcely view with eqHanimity the &C
duisition by Americans of one group
of transatlantic cables which contains
the only one Of British identity in the
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 of
any direct supervision Of these subma-
rine agencies. 1t is quite true, OF
course. that under the imperial laws
the British government could assume
control of cable stations at the land
ing places in the british isles in the
event of war or other emergency, and
that similar powers are vested i'll The
governments of Canada and New
foundIand, where these cables have
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 Western Union cables, one
between the British isles and America
via BAY Roberts, Newfoundland ana
two via Canso. Nova Scotia.
One direct United States cable De /
tween the British isles and America /
via Harbor Grace, Newfoundland.
Five Commercial cables, two be- ,
tween the British isles and America