The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-12-15
TROVERSY
OVER CABLES
Question of Division of Former
German Wires, Taken
Over During World
War.
DAVIS TELLS COMMITTEE
Attempt to Land at Miami, Florida
by Western Union Company is
Explained by Secre-
tary.
[By L. C. Martin, United Press Staff
Correspondent

corresponding
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-Farther
revelations in the controversy between
the United States and the other four
great powers on division of the for
mer German cables, may be forthcom-
ing in the senate today.
Acting Secretary of State Davis is
to appear before the subcommittee
of the senate interstate commerce
committee to give his opinion on a bill
to require licenses from the secretary
Of state to land cables on the shores
of the United States. Ncwcomb Car
Teton, head of the Western Union
Telegraph company, also is to testify.
Senator Kellogg of Minnesota, chair
man of the subcommittee. announced
that he would question Davis as to
the status of the ex-German cables.
Kellogg said, however, he would not
press the secretary if the latter thinks
it unwise to make a public statement
at this time on the ruction with the al
| lies over these cables. ...f,,, ...
I American precedents, and traditions
were upheld by the state department
in refusing to permit the Western
Union telegraph company to land a
cable at Miami. Florida without a
permit, Norman H. Davis, acting sec
retary OF state, told senate commit
tee today at the beginning of hear
ings on the whole cable situation.
Davis, in answer to questions by
Senator kellogg, chairman of the
committee, told the history Of the
South American cable business; how
the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany, British concern, has a mon
oEoly in Brazil and the rest of the
eastern portion of America and has
refused to share this business with
the All-American Gable company.
which operates on the western coast
and has land lines to Rio and Santos.
He told Of the controversy over the
former German cables, showing how
France and Great Britain having
seized the Atlantic cables have shut
the United States out OF direct COM
munication with central Europe and
Scandinavia He declared the United
States is standing firm for restor-
alton of the service which obtained
before the war and also adheres to
it's claim to part ownership of the
cables.
| kellogg first took up the contro-
versy over the attempted landing at
Miami.
The Western Union. Davis said, first
asked for permit to land at Miami
but later challenged the govern
ment's authority to require it to get
a permit. Efforts were made to get
the Western Union and the Western
Telegraph company to agree to GER
! tain conditions which would have
been of benefit to American business
men. These included:
| 1-That the press and commercial
rate from London to Brazil should
never be less than the rate from New
York to Brazil. This would put
j American business men on an equal
/ ity with English business men, he
said.
! 2-That messages from the United
States should be free OF any sort of
censorship.
3-That the Western Union accept
messages on its land lines in the
United States to be cabled TO South
America over amy cable the sender
wished to use.
1t was also suggested, Davis said,
! by the All-American Gable company
that a traffic agreement be made be-
tween it and the Western Telegraph
company to permit the Allan merican
to serve eastern South America but
this was turned down by the British
company.
as it any disadvantage to Ameri.
| can business men to have all their