Norwich bulletin., 1920-12-17
AMERICAN CABLE MESSAGES
 GOT INTO BRITISH HANDS

Washington, Dec. 16.-Direct testi- mony that American business messages sent over British cables during the war had come into the possession of British interests was given to a senate com niittee today by Captain F. k. Hill formerly an American naval attache ill South American countries.
 The committee also learned from New comb Carlton, president of the West ern Union Telegraph Company, that the British naval intelligence authori- ties. now, were holding up for examina- ton all cable messages from Great Britain to the United States. Mir Carl ton, was unable ito say whether mes sages to Great Britain or diplomatic messages of the American government were being subjected to such examina- tino, but promised to let the committee know as to the latter.
 Captain Hill testified that the most glaring instance ef American messages getting into the hands of British con cernss was when the General Electric Company submitted a bid for certain electrical Installations for a Brazilian who received, next day, a bid from an English concern to supply the same ar- | ticles at lower price than the Amer 1 ican firm offered.
 | This testimony was adduced at fur. | ther hearings by the committee into tA, | seenra1 question of cable communic.. l tions and the three-cornered contro. tersy over the landing of d South American cable at Miami which in. wolves question of a British cable ill. 1 Ner-coastal monopoly in Brazil.
 k Mf. Carlton, in discussing the hold Ing up of American messages in Greal Britain now, sait there was some jus
 thcatlcn for the practice as the pur, pose was to throw light on "interna
 disturbances ill Great Britain, chiefly
 l. suspect, with reference to Ireland. He added that his company had taker a firm stand on the matter, but hat been assured that no censorship would
 be imposed.
 | Testifying further, as to the attemp
 to land the Miami cable, MT. Carltor said his company was proceeding in a,
 orderly way through the courts to ge lhe cable connected.
 While the hearing was in progress i
 was said at the state department tha
 me company had been informed that i IL landed the cable via Cuba the ner
 mt under Which existing cables at Mia i ml were landed would be altered so q
 to prevent the transmission of througl
 messages to Brazil oyer the Britis
 western Company's lines from Barba
 7oes.
 Elihu Root. Jr., counael for the Ali
 American Cables, Inc. was again ex
 Amiled and said the Miami controvers
 was merely step ill d great interna
 tional struggle for the control of com
 munications to South America-a strue gle between the United States on th
 one hand and Great Britain on the oth
 er" 0sti w, W. Hawkins. president of tn United Press, told :he committee ina cable facilities were the chief limitatio on distribution of American new abroad and said conditions were si,c : lhat his organization could not get int | South America all the news it desire 10 send there. 3 The situation between the. Unite ! states and Japan" he said. lis larenl 5 affected by the fact that news comm g h1cations are slow and limited. a Il think congress should amend sta
 uses to allow naval radio stations
 handle press and government disnatc,
 ss- don't think the heads of the ., ' ble companies would object to that h
 cause it would relieve them of bu