Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-14
CABLE CONTROL TAKEN 4
OVER BY BURLES0n
c. H. Mackay Ousted; Western
Union Head is Made Director
of All Lines.

Because OF their open hostIiIty to the
| government action In taking over the
marine cables, Postmaster General Burle-
son yesterday ordered the removal of
Clarence Fl. Mackay, president OF the
| Commercial Cable Company, and his
immediate subordinates, George G.. Ward
and William ". Cook, from "any con-
nection with the supervision, possession,
control or operation of any and all marine
| cable systems" taken by the government.
| Newcomb Carlton, president OF the West
| ern Union Telegraph Company, was di-
| rected by the Postmaster General to as
sumo the management of cable service
| and put into effect the plan of unihcation
| approved by the PostofIice Department.
| The Postmaster General announced
| he decided upon this course after the
| receipt Of a letter last Wednesday from Mr..
| Mackay asserting the management of the
| Commercial Cable Company had taken no
| step TO unity the properties by oaking
possession of the cables controlled by the
| Western Union and had no intention of
| doing so MIR Burleson's order said Mr..
| Ward had declined to comply with the IN
| structions of the Postoftice Department
| issued December (, outlining the cable
| unihcation authorized by President Will
| son $ proclamation Of November ,.
The governments action IN taking
| over the cables. MIR Burlcson explained,
| was determined upon because ''the interest
of public service during the present cmer-
gency necessitated the unlhcation IN oper
| alton to the fullest extent possible oi
| the cable systems leading from thus coun-
| try TO Europe, so the full capacity of all
| the cables might be available to the public
and the press, which 1t was manifest could
| only be accomplished through operation
Il.
The hostility of the officials of the Com
merrial Cable Company, the Postmaster
| General declared. left the government
no alternative but to remove them. The
steps leading TO this removal were set
| forth in the official order as follows
"And whereas, after having made
survey of the situation and becoming
satisfied that the object sought could best
| be accomplished hy placing the cables
| under the operating head of the Com
mercial Gable Company, it was directed
| that George G.. Ward. vice-preshent
Of the Commercial Cable Company as
| sumo the management and operation OF
both the Commercial Cable system and
| the cable systems operated by the Western
! Union Telegraph Company.
And whereas in his letter OF De
cember E, 1918, said Newcomb Carlton
not only acquiesced for his companies m
| the aforesaid directions for unIficatIon
| in operation of the two cable systems
| under said George G. Ward, the operating
| head of the Commercial Gable Company,
| but pledged his hearty cooperation there
| in, stating his judgment to be that such
| unifcation would result in an increase
| in the total daily capacity ol the cables
! comprising the two economies in operation.
| And whereas. in his letter of Decem-
| Der II. 1918, Mr. Clarence ii. Mackay,
| president Of the Commercial Cable Com
| pany, advised the Postmaster General
/ that said George G. Ward has taken no
/ step to unity the properties by taking
| possession Of the cables controlled by the
| Western Union Telegraph Company,
| and has no intention OF dong so.
And whereas, in his said letter OF
| December IL, 1918, the said Clarence II.
| Mackav, president Of the Commercial
| Gable Company, has shown the hostility
| Of the officials of the said company to
| any plan OF unificatlon OF operation OF
| the cable systems, and said Ward has
/ declined to comply with said instructions
| Of the Postmaster General Of December
| !. 1918. and
Whereas, the public interests require
! that the opera ton of the said cable system
be unified not only for improvement OF
| service, but also that lmportan! economies
| IN operation NAV be effected during the
! period Of government control, which can
| be accomplished only BY placing such
| unified operation under the management
| of persons ia complete accord with the
| ends desired
Now, therefore, it is ordered and
! directed that so much of the sand order
| No. 1851 as directs all of the officers,
| operators and employees OF the marine
| cable companies to continue IN the per-
| formance cf their present duties is modI-
| ned so as 10 exclude Clarence H. Mac
| Kav. George c. Ward and William ".
| Cook from any connection with the su-
| pervision, possession. control or opera
| tion of any and all marine cable systems
! or anv part thereof, the supervision,
| possession, control and operation which
was taken over and assumed by the
| President in his said proclamation OF
/ November 2, 1918, and said Newcomb
/ Carlton is hereby directed to assume the
management and operation OF each and
/ all of the marine cable systems, the
supervisors, possession, control and OPP
! Grafton of which was taken over and as
| sumed by the President and by him d.
rectcd TO be exercised by and through
! the postmaster general so far and TO
such extent as Is authorized by the SAID
| Joint resolution OF congress and the SAID
| proclamation of the President
| The said Carlton will proceed at
| once to the execution OF thus order aud
| shall carry into effect directions which
| have been gwen for unIhcauon OF the
| operation of said cable systems and such
| other directions hereafter to Ie issued