Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-12
United States Trying to
Block Effort to Control
Ocean Wires.
PRIZES OF WAR,
BRITAIN CLAIMS
0sgvnan Linss In Atlantic and Pacific
Seized Before American Nations En-.
tered War and United Skates Denies
Contsntion Cables Are War Price
Rhine 70 Be Open to Ships Of All
Nations.

Nations.
Paris, March 1e.-Realizing the pos
sibility Of = virtual monopoly Of cable
communications by Great Britain
should her claim to the captured Ger
man cables be sustained. with the con-
sequent submission Of the great for
eign business interests in~the United
States to alien control Ia this respect.
the American delegates to the peace
confexence are endeavoring to make .
strong presentation OF their case be-
fore the legal authorities to whom the
subject has been referred.
The naval experts who first consid-
and the supreme council, upon motion
Of Secretary OF State lansing, refer
red to legal experts the question Of
title involved. These experts are being
pressed by the Americans for n deci-
sion.
Early in the war the British cut the
two German cables from Icnden to
america by way Of the Azores and also
the cable between Monrovia, the Ii
berian capital, and Brazil. They cook
one end Of the German-American cabl-
es to Halifax, thereby securing another
transeplantic line for themselves. The
other cable they gave to the French
government, who 50 far has made no
attamnt to utilize Il, probably because
of the scarcity of submarine cable ma
terial and Of cable laying ships.
Claimed 40 War Price,
The British now claim that these
cables are prizes Of war. They do not
intend to allow their return or to re-
rarA them - subject to disposition by
tho Depce conference. The American
delegates. however. contend that the
cables WI rc unlawfully tut and unlsw..
fully reconnectcd. because the United
States was not at war when this was
done and had an interest in them as
teing one,Eof the termini., Nor. they
claim. was. there proper warrant for
thS cutting Of the cable between Liber-
Ia and Brazil, as both these countries
were neutral at the time 1t was done.
There never has been any decision
regarding the title to cables outside Of
territorial waters In time Of war ana
the Americans now are extremely anx-
iois that no precedent should be cs-
tablished that mish- place American
business at the mercy Of foreigners or
prevent free communication between
the United States and central Europe
after the conclusion OF peace.
Pacific Cables Seized.
In addition to the trans Atlantic
cables several German cables in tie
Pacific also were seized by the British
as prises Of the war. One Of these
runs from the Island Of Yap, one OF
the Caroline grodp. to Singapore, con-
Meeting with the Dutch and I3ritish
cables. Another Connects this cable
with the Island Of Cclebes. Possession
of these lines, It Is said, insures busi-
ness control Of A fair proportion of
Australian Polynesia. which is regard
ed as properly within the field OF
American commercial effort,
The possibility Of these cables pass
ing in some degree under the control Of
Japan alone in case the. latter is made
the mandatory Of the captured Pacific
islands, also is regarded with disfavor
by the American representatives un-
less some plan to prevent any possible
discrimination Is adopted.
To Open Rhine to All Nations.
Recommendation that the navigation
of the Rhine be opened to all nations
without discrimination was made in
report to the peace conference today
by the commission on the international
regime Of waterways, railways and
ports. 1t IL suggested that the Rhine
be controlled by commission similar
to the Danube commission.
The status OF the Ilel canal has
hee!s settled BY the commission on the
basis OF the freedom Of use for all ma
.tions for merchant vessels or warships
in time Of peace. The canal would
continue under German ownership and
operation.
The question OF the fortifcation Of
the canal Is left by the commission to
tile decision OF military ana naval ex-
prrts. E FQT,gF NJ
The report Of the commission was
not favorable to allowing the Belgian
claim that special duties be imposed
on German vessels.
The report further recommended that
general conference be held within a
year to deal with all questions per-
tanning to the navigation OF interna-
tional waterways which are REGARDED
as too intricate or complex to be
settled finally within the limited life Of
the peace conference.
HEcTTAR. AlRPLARE SPEED FUEL.
Bureau o. Mines Discover. Speed ciy.
Ind Motor Fuel.
washington, March 12.-Deyelop-
ment too late Tor use in the war Of a
motor fuel which adds ten miles an
hour to the speed OF airplanes and has
possibilities for use in automobile rae
tng was angounced today by the bu-
reau OF mines. The liquid, a combine
ton of benzol and cycloheane called
Hectar, c6sts about ~ gallon, so
X !.
4l ftff S3egFis