The sun., 1917-09-21
WAR MAY RESTRICT
USE OF THE CABLES
Land Wires Also Feel Increase
Of Government Messages,
Which Have Precedence.
LABOR SHORTAGE ALSO
Call Of the Signal Corps and
Draft Have Taken Many
Operators From Service.

Newspapers. hnanciers and exporters
have heard rumors lately OF the prob
transatlantic cable companies. AS the
number Of American soldiers sent abroad
Increases and the parts played by the
Allies commissions in America become
more important. the official correspond
ence by cable grows rapidly. Just how
long the telegraph companies can con-
tinue the unlimited service at present in
force no Official Is prepared to say. They
insist, however. that their lines are not
being used to capacity and that they DO
not look for Limitation on commercial
business for several months at least.
Business interests have felt already
the shortage In Morse code telegraph
operators. occasioned by the war Traf'ic
managers Of the companies confess that
the growing demands Of the Signal Corps
and the inroads made by the selectlve
draft have forced them to retrench in
the number Of service stations hitherto
maintained. The number Of operators
called to the colors will not be known
until the National Army Is modified.
TF0m nc Less Profitable.
The telegraph companies also will be
hit In the pocketbooks in direct ratio
as tho business OF the Government in
creases, for Federal messages are sent
at rate which telegraph officials say
gives the companies a doubtful margin
OF profit. None OF the companies Is COM
planning on this score. as they hold that
the success Of the Government in the
mn ho f,,t,, fot1 nA
cess Of all American corporations. None
Of the officials will discuss the possibility
Of a war tax on kilograms.
In speaking Of the cable situation. @.
H. Messner. cable manager OF the West
ern Union Telegraph Company. said ::
1T Is true that the Government Is send
Ing more messages than ever before.
But this extra business has not swamped
us. We are prepared to take care Of all
the Government business that comes.
You must remember that there are now
eight or nine codes for users of the cable.
Naturally all Government matter is in
code. And 1t is surprising how much
you can say in few words when using
CODE"
May Restrict Private Messages.
Another official Of the company said {:
1T Is possible that Americans abroad
will not be allowed to use the cable as
much as they may wish. There are several
reasons for this. Since virtually all ca
BILE messages are sent in code, the greater
the traffic. the more strenuous will be
the work Of censors. because every mes.
sage will be decoded before being sent.
The American soldier and his officers.
for that matter. will not be located
where they can send messages home as
the fancy strikes them. The Govern
ment messages take precedence over all
other business. which will hold back
some cablegrams, no doubt. and act as
a discouraging factor in preventing the
f1ling OF many relatively unimportant
messages"
T. &. Sweeney, manager IN America
Of the French Telegraph Gable Com
pany. said There are eight Western
Union cables. Ave Commercial Cable
, Company cables and two French cables
in operation. AS our cables are the only
two directly connecting America with
! the shores OF France, we are getting
! much Government business. The rate
is not high, but we are not complaining
/ We must all be prepared to help in
I every way that We can.
| Inland Lines COngested.
!
It is true. and business is held up wher
being transferred from cables to land
wires. This is only to be expected. The
cables. l am sure, will take care OF the
| business for some time to come"
An official of the Marconi Telegraph
Gable Company said There is no trans
atlantic wireless to-day. The cable |.
the only means for communica tion which
is proof against tapping. II a rush O
business swamped the cable companie,
It 10 possible that the Government woult
knowledge Of which would be valueless I,
the enemy"
w. N. Fashbaugh. trafiic manager o
the Western Union. in discussing labo
conditions. said I'VE are retrenching II
the use Of labor where ever possible. w,
have withdrawn our own operators VIII,
were not putting In full time at station
operated in newspaper Offices and othe
points where in normal times enougl
business was to he had to pay tho ex
penses Of the station.
There is a decided shortage In tn
number OF operators available. We ar
helping In training operators in som
twenty-five schools in the United States
The needs of the army are many Tn
National Army has taken many Of on
men by draft. On the other hand som
brokerage houses which carried on on
erations In wheat and rye. now forbidde
by the Government. have released opera
tors. Brokers In most instances emplo
their own operators. II the Government
needs telegraph operators. however. It
possible that these men may be called ou
and the brokers forced to obtain thei
news and quotations through some cen
tral ofiice by means OF messenger boys.
IAN telegraph companies are har
pressed to keep pace with the condition
war has thrust upon us. but ] am cor
vinced that they will meet the demand
Of the country"
ADAMSON TO SERVE