Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-12
MONOPOLY OF WIRES
MAY RULE OUT u. S.
Isolation in Ne,cs Communication Is Threatened b,
British Combination-Germ Cables to
Fall Into RiuaI Hands
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
stag Correspondent Of the Evening Public Ledoer
Copvri0ht, 1919. By Public ledger Com panp

London, June 2J.-tBy MALTA
world monopoly of the means of com
munication is in sight. The effort made
here to prevent the German cables from
falling into the hands of those who now
control most of the cable facilities of
the world has apparently failed.
Germany is permitted to lay new
lines across the Atlantic, but under
such conditions that she must first
reach an agreement with the existing
companies. which surely precludes the
possibility Of. competition. The gravi-
| tation of the wireless facilities of the
world into the same hands is predicted
by an American government agent VINO
! has made a long study of this subject.
In which case the monopoly will be
complete.
What does world monopoly of the
means of communications mean! Inc
American Just mentioned was recently
in London. There he encountered
man interested in organizing the means
of communication. The Englishman
said "That blank fool mentioning the
mamie of a we'll known British capital
ist large holder of wireless securl-
ties, saws if he controls the wireless.
he will control what news the world
COTS II he controls what news the
world gets. he will control what the
world thinks. If he controls what the
world thinks, he will control the
world" And the American ADDED.
am NOT sure that blank was such
fool after all.
! What New York Might Do 4
Was he such a fool? The United
States is a federation of states. Let
ne make n violent supposition. Let US
s,nnose that New York. first in the
fold, controlled all the telegraph faclli-
ties of the United States. Let us sup
nose that all New York matter wen,
free over the wires. or at least htu
nriority over matter originating III
other states. Let us suppose that III
t;mos of stress New York conld eHer
c;se censorship over matter Original
;,,a in nil other states of the unroa'
IT, nc suppose that by reason OF the
,.dod condition of the wires New
vi, could send such news as II "ouid
l,oa,,.hsro while news originating III
otber parts of the Union might not get
.,no,ah Would not New York exer-
a;na On enormous influence upon 'ne
,n..;,,;os of the United States, upon the
r,;rds of it's inhabitants upon 'ne
thorobt and action of its people, II
goes without saying.
This supposed situation is almost au :
,,,;coted in the world at large Ill 'ne
pnyIv organized league OF nations
D,r;nr the war you could hardiS ron
n,mn;cete with any part OF Europe i,on'
Amarica, except with France nnless
. Au ,,assSee passed through the hands
!o", pr;tish censor. and independen'
ol,p;cation VI with France Is not
good. .,ordsnce the German
ossessed before the war Is mat
tapief question. During the war they
Ter VI nt Now that the war is over
.a,' we,e ors going to gravitate into the
,hei 80 the Atlantic cable combina
han . srv new German lines Will nave
tlon. ,.ah an understanding, with that
" L;rot;on in order to be bnilt. Should
.on'Jd I-,;ted States wish to build lines
oss .n the Atlantic it would have to
uoacb an understanding with the com :
bination.
Here Is q Problem
..orv ia illustrative. An American
ony recently made arrangements
to"tp hm;id a cable line to Brazil. There
H. long been demand for such means
&c oonnunication. On its face this will
on ;ndependent line. 1t will be al
! 'ost the only American line in the
,norld the other important one being
w. line across the Pacific by way of
Hewa;; Guam and the Philippines.
put can it be independent? Two
+b;nos are necessary to lay cable line,
oonrer and gutta percha. The United
states has plenty of copper, but Eng
land has a monopoly of gutta percha.
Moreover, suppose messages originating
IN South America have to be distrib
mted to other parts Of the world. How
} CON thew be sent to Europe? To the
british colonies? How can they be de
liyered in England? Only by arrange
ments with the existing companies.
The cable can not be laid, can not be
made profitable, except on sufferance
Can there be any doubt what this
means?
This is not written in criticism, but
) only to explain how early entrance into
the field and the possession of certain
rights give overwhelming advantages
The gravitation toward monopoly
either by single ownership or by mu
, tual understanding, is inevitable.
This story with regard to the Ameri
can line to South America indicates the
control (which the existing companies
exercise. A cable line is a question OF
landing rights, of materials and of dis
tribution. You can not lay a cable un
less YOU obtain the wire, unless you
can find stations at both ends at which
4 TO make landings, unless you can make
arrangements with the land wires for
1.-The distribution of messages.
It is not merely necessary to trans
NIT your message under the ocean. You
, must have a field in which your mes
sages may originate and field in which
you can deliver them.
Germany's Case Illustrative
Take the case of Germany. She iose'
| her cables, which, as has already beer
said, will gravitate into the hands OF
the existing monopoly. She, however
will receive the right to lay new ones
/, The right rs not so considerable as il
seems. Gables connecting Germany
with America are the most important
: 1t is not practicable to lay cables di
|. rectly from Germany to the United
States. Such lines could not compete
with the English lines having the
shorter sending distance between Ire