The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-15


United States Shut Out,
He told of the controversy over the
former German cables, showing how
jFrauee and Great Britain. having
seized the Atlantic cables, have shut
the United States out OF direct cem-
munieation with Central Europe and
Scandinavia. He declared the United
States is standing firm for a reAera-
ton of the service she obtained before
| the war and also adheres to it's claim
| to part ownership OF the cables
The Western Union, Davis said, first
asked for a permit TO land at Miami,
but later challenged the governments
authority to require it to get a permit.
Tried For Compromise.
Efforts were made to get the West
ern Union and the Western Telegraph
| company to agree to certain conditions
which would have been of benefit to
| American business men, These in
| Guided:
| 1. That the press and commercial rate
from London to Brazil should never be
Brazil. This would put American bust.
ness men on an equality with English
| 2 That messages from the United
states should be free of any sort Of cen-
f! sorship.
| 3. That the Western Union accept mes
sages on its land lines In the United States
| to be eabled to South America over any
| cable the sender wished to use.
Embargo OH u. >. news.
Walter s. Rogers, one efthe Amer
lean commissioners to the interna-
tional communications conference
which is considering disposition of the
former German cables and other ques-
| tons told the committee that the
| Western Union telegraph company
| the British concern, had a monopoly
| OF the inter-coastal business in Brazil,
| and that the all-American cable line
could enter only by building separate
| line from a country outside of Brazil
to each point in Brazil which it de-
sired to reach.
Why is it that American news is
! not published abroad?" asked KEEL
logg.
| Europeans before the war were not
interested in American news" Rogers
said, and also, London had been
made the cable and news center OF
the world by a combination of influ-
ences.
U. S. Poorly Advertised.
''There are four great news gather
ing agencies operating over clearly de-
fined spheres, the American Associated
Press. Reuters of England, the Hayas
company for France, and the Wolff
agency of Germany with various COM
petitors. The United States is unques-
tionably the worst advertised abroad
of the great powers.
| THE situation has been rapidly
changing. The United Press, an Amer
lean agency. entered South America
directly and the Associated Press
modified its contract with Havas and
commenced service there too. 1t has
peen found definitely that Latin
America, formerly served with world
! news from Paris, wants American
news, will publish it and that the eff
fects are good on international rela-
tionship enerally."
81 British Refused Offer.
1t was also suggested, Davis said
| by the All-American Gable compan,
! that traffic agreement be made be.
{ tween it and the Western TELEGRAPH
, company to permit the All-Americat
/ to serve eastern South America, bu1
{ this was turned down by the British
lcompsny.
rs it any disadvantage to American
business to have all these cable mes
sages go over foreign lines?" asked
kellogg.
1T is considerable disadvantage il
the messages are not absolutely in
; violate" said Davis. He added there
[ is much sentiment in the United States
. eign hands.
/ Davis agreed to give the committee
copies of all landing permits granted
! by the government to cable companies
Is Traffic Problem. .
Walter s. Rogers, who, like Davis
was an American delegate to the in
ternatiopal communication conference
declared the important condition OF
the three the government sought tc
) impose on the Western Union before
, following the cable landing at Miami
is the one giving the sender the righ1
to route his cable as he pleases.
"As 1t is now" said Rogers, eth.
! cable companies are not obligated Il
exchange traffic with other cable com.
: panies. The result is they route cable
[ messages over the cable lines con
{ trolled by the land telegraph com
; panies. All our messages to Soutf
I America therefore, except those sen
: over the Allan erican cable. go owe
f British cables.
! Two things should be done. First
! all monopolies of territory should b.
ended and exchange of traffic shoul'
lbe made compulsory under uniform
I conditions
n Take Unfair Advantage.
Rogers went into the controvers,
over the ADMINISTRATORS cable. H
Z said the Barbados legislature sough
to pass an act providing, among othe
| things, that any cable station on tina
= island should be permanently manne
4 and controlled by British subjects, EN-
!. ployes of the Western Telegraph Q
some other British company.
( THAT would mean that the Barba
> does end of the American cable woul
be controlled by Britishers," Roger
= said.
He declared the censorship of com
mercial messages is great diSadvan
! tage to Americans. Rogers said h
had often heard that the British an
, French had gone so far as to turn owe
to their own nationals certain eabl
4 MESA ges between American and for
Z eign business men.
q wHEzEWKz "A ESA