New-York tribune., 1918-12-09
Vail Advocates
Merger by US. of
All Wire Lines
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come commercial and industrial
world centre and American cable sys-
tenn consonant with the obligations and
opportunities of the ountry must be
organized.
There must be United States sys~
TEN which will place this country
directly in communication with every
country with which we have or hope
to have important commercial rela-
tions," he declared. LAS it is, We are
on one side of the world system. We
must be made one of the centres of
the world system if we expect to COM
pete or even terms with the world or
be properly considered by the coun-
tries we wish to reach.
"The immediate and pressing nee
essity is for the east coast South
American cable to give this country
and the River Plate countries direct
cable communication.
"Of what use in commerce will be
our investment of billions in ships to
carry commerce if we do not give
them and the business agents of all
commerce direct communication with
their home ports and home business
houses?
"Congress has authorized combina-
tion in foreign commercial enterprises.
If the advantages and necessities were
properly presented it should be posi-
BILE to obtain promptly such authoriza-
tion or legislation as would give, un-
der the agencies of the government,
authority for combination and opera
tion of all electric nter-communicat
ing systems. in direct connection and
coordination with the national wire
system, between this country and all
foreign countries.
Cables Are Congested
There is one thing that calls for
immediate action. The cable situation
is and has been grave. Congestion is
now the rule and accumulation of
business is at times serious, and when
the activities Of the peace conference
are really commenced in Europe it
will be greatly increased.
"By one traffic head controlling cable
operations and few slight changes in
the physical properties which could
centralize the cable terminals, as it
were, the efficiency can be somewhat
increased.
"lf it were lawful or if it could be
brought about by consent of the pro-
prietors, it would be a great feature
for the commercial and political inter-
ests of the United States and of great
advantage to every country reached
by direct communication if the cable
systems could be consolidated into
one system and rearranged and ex
tended more Or less.
"Such combination would at once
bring about an important saving in
cost of operation
Economy Is Predicted
"A broader, cheaper and more
abundant service will be a most eff
fectual adjunct to our own COMMERCIAL
agents abroad in securing business of
the United States industries. There is
already an active movement being in
augurated, particularly in South Amer
lea, by German commercial agents to
recover their pre-wa conditions, and
which must be promptly met if the
United States is to get any advantage
from the present situation"
For the unification of the land wires
Mr.. Vail suggested creation of three
operating divisions, each embracing
the distinctive operation of telephone
service" and telegraph SERVICE" and
"the maintenance and manipulations of
wires and systems" as distinct from
troffic operations
Below those divisions the organiza-
tion could be amplhed and arranged
to meet the necessities, he said, and
the whole sbould operate under one
executive head.
Favors Single Terminal
Telegraph and telephone wires, Nh
Vail declared, could be utilized for
both purposes without any merger or
change other than to bring them into
one switching terminal at each great
centre.
All operations could be SO correlated
and coordinated, he said, as to bring
about a considerable increase in eff
cheney and much economy without do
ing anything which could not be un-
done at the end of the period Of gov