The Cordova daily times., 1920-11-18
MORE AMERICAN CABLES
 ESSENTIAL. ID NATIONS
 FORE:IGSN COUNTRY TRADE

NEW YORK, Nov. 18.-Lack of an adequate American cable system is a handicap to this country's foreign trade which must be removed if we are to maintain our position in the commercial world, the National Bank of Commerce of New York declares. In the November issue of it's mag azine, Commerce Monthly, the bank 1 shows that at present American exporters are dependent for con- munication on commercial rivals l abroad, more than half the existing l cables being controlled by Great 1 Britain alone. The spending of thousands of millions of dollars on our merchant marine and other trade organizations under such con- ditions, it holds, is a doubtful pros pect.
 \"Unti some effective internation- al agreement for the naturalization of the worlds cable system has been reached the pressing need of Ameri- can commerce is the extension of American cable facilities" Con- merce Monthly says. "Without such a system American foreign trade is faced with the difficulties insepar- able from doing business over sys- tenn largely owned and managed by the commercial rivals of the United 1 States.
 Apart from the general circum- stances which have increased the interdependence between business and the cables all over the world, the United States has very special | interest in the present cable situa- tion, primarily as the result of an enormous increase in it's foreign trade. In consequence foreign mar ket conditions have become of added importance not only to those who are actively engaged in dealing abroad but also to a large prOpor- tion of the business community whose interests are affected less obviously, but none the less surely, by conditions elsewhere.
 "The present system of interna- tional communications, largely cable, while comprehensive and efficient, I has been built primarily on the basis of connecting the commercial world with the old world centers of finance, commerce and industry. National interests and prestige, con- petitive enterprise and local influ- ence have governed location, eX-- tensions and combinations so that these facilities have not been in all cases arranged to he productive of the maximum efficiency or economy.
 "The United States is connected with this world system, but as a contributing field to be reached and exploited and not primarily as a center If the United States is to maintain the position which it has won in the trade of the world, it must become the focus of a world system of electrical intercOmmunica- tion. It must become one of the most important ceners of cOmmuni- cation, perhaps the most important as it has become in many respects ,l q finance. Without quick, reliable communication, independent of other national interests, the vast sums we have invested in our new merchant marine and our organizations for for eign commerce will never yield full value on the investment
 "The entire cost of an American cable system which would give up direct communication with the prin- ciptal commercial nations of Europe, South America and the Far East, would be comparatively small sum compared with the cost of the new ly built American merchant marine. It would give the commerce of the United States what it needs and what the commerce of the older countries already has. The spending of thousands of millions on means of transportation for American trade is a doubtful prospect as long ac this country has no proper facili- ties for the agents who spread that trade and as long as the ships which carry it can communicate only with the consent of foreign nations, or