Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-15
CABLESERVICE
TOU.S. ABROAD
AIRED IN QUIZ
, Senate Committee Witnesses
Say France and England
Censor Messages.
MIAMI CASE IS HEARD

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-Americar
presidents and traditions were upheld by
the State Department in refusing to per
NIT the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany 10 land cable at Miami, Fla, with.
out a permit, Norman H Davis, acting
Secretary Of State, told a Senate com
mittee today at the beginning of hearings
on the whole cable situation.
Davis, in answer to questions by Sen
ator kellogg, chairman Of the committee
told the history Of the South America
cable business; how the Western Tele-
graph Company, 4 British concern, has
a monopoly IN Brazil and the rest Of ths
eastern portion of South America, and
has refused 10 share this business with
the All-Ame-ican Cable Company, whicr
operates on the western coast and ha.
laud lines TO Rio and Santos
he told OF the controversy over the
ex-German cables, showing how France
: and Great Britain having seized the
Atlantic cables, have shut the United
States out OF direct communication with
central Europe and Scandinavia. He de-
clared the Unitsd states is standing firm
for a restoration of the service which
obtained before the war and also adj
heres to its claim TO part ownership OF
the cables
LHALLENGED AUTHORITY
OF GOVERNMENT
Kellogg first took up the controversy
over the attempted landing at Miami.
The Western Union, Davis said, first
asked for a permit to land at Miami
but later challenged the Government
authority to require it to get a permit.
Efforts were made to get the Western
Union and the Western Telegraph Com
pany to agree to certain conditions which
would have been of benefit to American
business men.
It was also suggested, Davis said. by
the All-American Cable Company that a
traffic agreement be made between it
and the western Telegraph Company 20
permit the AIl-American to serve eastern
South America. but this was turned
down by the British Company.
Davis agreed TO give the committee
copies Of all landing permits granted by
the Government 20 cable companies.
EIGHT TO ROUTE
OWN MESSAGES.
Walter 5. Rogers. who like Davis. was
an American delegate TO the interna-
tional communications conference, de-
ciared the important condition Of the
three, the Government sought 20 impose
on the Western Union before allowing
the cable landing at Miami. is the one
giving the sender the right to route his
cable IS he pleases.
Rogers went into the controversy over
the Miami barbados cable. He said
the Barbados legislature sought TO pass
en- act providing among other things
that any cable station on that island
should be permanently manned and con-
trolIed by British subjects. employees Of
the Western Telegraph or some other
British company.
he declared the censorship Of com
merciaI messages IS a great disadvan-
tage to Americans. Rogers said he had
often heard that the British and French
had gone so far as TO turn over 10 their
own nationals, certain cable messages
between American and foreign business
men Both Davis and Rogers asserted
that the United States should have di-
rect cable Communication with foreign
lands even II It has to build the cables
Itself
POSITION SINCE
1914 Is TOLD.
In discussing the controversy between
the United States and the other powers
over the former German cables. both
Davis and Rogers confined themselves to
explanation Of the history Of the cables
and 90 stating IN the most general terms
the position or the United States Gov
eminent. Davis told how since 1914. tho
United States has had no direct cable
communication with Central Europe he
cause the British ana French cut two
cables from Emden which landed on
Long Island. The British diverted the
European end Of one cable to Pe1zance
the French took the other one to Brest
Late in 1918, the British cut the Penzance
cable 600 miles out Of New York and
took it to Halifax Davis also told OF
the situation in the Pacific concernin g
the Yap-Guam- Shanghai cable and other
German cables there.
At this afternoons session OF the com
mittee officials OF the All-American Cable
Company will be heard, and viii be
followed by NewcOmb Carlton, president
o. the Western Union.