The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-03
WAR AND THE WIRES
THE TOPEKA STATE Journal
INFoRMATf0E BUREAU
BY Frederic }. Haskin. director.
Washington, d. O.

lomatic correspondence upon Whlch
the fate of the world depends, is car
ried from the capital by telephone.
telegraph, cal BILE and wireless. AS all
roads once led to Rome, all wires now
lead to Washington. The hopes and
greeds and defiances, the sufferinss
and desires of an embattled world
reach this heart of America over mil
lions of tiny copper wires.
Indeed the growth of electrical
means of communication had no small
share in lifting America to the com
handing place she holds today In
world affairs. The wires more than
anything else have penetrated our $50
lation. And the wires are making
history today at such a rate as it was
never made before. Only century
ago it took seven weeks for the news
that peace had been made to reach
the men that were lighting in Amer
lea, and jackson won the battle OF
New Orleans after the war was over.
Today the president of the United
States can send a message to London
in five minutes.
Necessarily a sudden tremendous
strain has been imposed upon the ma
tons facilities for wire communica-
ton, especially in ana out of Wash
ington. Telephone tolls would seem to
be a sensitive barometer of public eX-
element and governmental activity.
When Germany's note declaring unre-
stricted submarine warfare was de-
liVered in Washington, toll traffic out
of the capital jumped 20 per cent, and
local traffic started on an upward
curve. When Ambassador Bernstorff
was given his passports on February
3, the volume of telephone talk was
further swelled The local telephone
company began working twenty three
hours a day installing new equipment,
and mined IFS nlAnt from the
foundations up.
Electric Wires and the War.
When war had been declared the
council of national defense called for
the cooperation of the wire COM
panies with the government. Officials
of the wire companies went into con-
ference with government officials, and
the desired coordination was effected.
The wire companies have undoubt-
eddy rendered a great patriotic serv-
ice, have done remarkable emergency
work in increasing their facilities, and
have given the government cO-Opera-
ton of the willingest kind. Long line
wires out of Washington have in
creased from 149 to 800; long dis
lance operators in all parts of the
country were quickly Increased to
twelve thousand, and more are in
training. The operator schools here
are in session every day except Sun
day. A new underground cable be-
tween New York and Washington to
cost s1,50o,000 is being planned.
Not only the government but the
public is making enormous demands
upon the telephone company here. In
June of last year about 225. 900 local
calls originated here and last June as
high as $4,000 calls were handled
in one day, while the weekly num-
her amounted to 100000.
The telephone company publicly
ANNOUNCED ana advertised that it
would try to serve both the govern
ment and the public, but that if eth
er had to suffer it would be the pub
lie. This promise has been exactly
fulfilled. The public service has be
come decidedly poor, not only in
Washington, but in many parts CT the
country. The annoyance and delay
of waiting for long distance calls, of
being cut off suddenly, of being in
formed again and again that the Zine
is busy" of long and earnest listening
at the receiver with no reward but an
occasional explosion like a pistol shot
close to the ear, have all been multi
piled.
n Matter of Patriotism.
The public has been asked to put
up with these annoyances, and to use
the telephone less as a matter of pat
riotic duty, in order that the govern
ment may be given the best of serV-
ice. The government, it is told, is
using all of the experienced operators,
and most of the troubles of the public
are due to the fact that it has to get
along with the green ones.
The local management has brought
in total of 1913 operators from other
cities upon its system and eighty two
from other sources, but the govern
ment has taken a total of 225 of its
experienced operators. Meantime the
nun Der of telephones in the district
has increased by six thousand since
the first of the year, and Washington
now has sixteen telephones for every
hundred inha bitants.
Unquestionably the telephone COM
panies are doing their level best, and
they are doing well. Furthermore,
they have another motive than the
pure patriotism which undoubtedly
spurs them on. Government owner
ship of telephone and telegraph lines
has been their DOGGY for many years,
and beyond a doubt the service which
they give the government and the pub
lie during this great emergency will be
most closely scanned by the advocates
of postalization. The wire companies
will point to their record of patriotism
and efficiency in the service of the
government during the war as proof
that they are worthy of control of
this vital part of the nations commun-
ications.
The advocates of government own
ership will assert that a service al
ready under the control of the gov
eminent and perfectly co-ordinated
for military and civil purposes would
have done better. They will prob
ably also point out that altho the de-
mand upon the United States postal
service has been greatly increased by
the war, the delivery of private mails
has not been made uncertain or I'M
satisfa Glory because of the press of
government business. In a word the
poor to Indifferent service which the
public is now receiving from the tele-
phone companies in many sections. if
it continues. will undoubtedly be used
| against them.
The Rights of the Wires.
The legal right of the federal gov
eminent to take over the telephone
| and telegraph lines has been gener-
ally accepted 1t is comprised under
| the clause giving I've GOV eminent. the