The Washington herald., 1920-12-17
Western Union Official
Says Wires From US.
Are Intercepted.
SENATE COMMITTEE
HEARS u. p. HEAD
Hawkins Asks Greater
Facilities for News
Transmission.

president of the Western Union and
F. X Hill, retired U. S. naval cap
tain, to the effect that cable mes
sages from America to Europe,
routed through England, were in
tercepted by British authorities,
occupied the attention yesterday OF
the Senate subcommittee consider
ing legislation to regulate issuance
of cable permits.
Indications that this alleged in
Perception of communication would
receive further attention of the
committee, were seen in the promise
by Carlton that he would inform
the committee whether diplomatic
messages were also scanned.
Carlton took the stand after W.
W. Hawkins, president of tae
United Press, told the committee
that growth of commerce followed
extension of fields of American
press associations. For this rel-
son. he said. greater facilities for
news transmission hould be pro-
vided.
The committee also heard arsu-
ments between Carlton and repre-
sentatives of the all-America caoIes
otter the landing of the Western
Union cable at Miami.
Hill Cites Cases
Instances Of interference with
American commercial messages IN
South American countries were laid
before the committee by Capt. T..
K. Hill, who was naval attache q:
Rio Janeiro during the war. He
testified that commercial messages
sent by OF received by Americans
in Rio were handed over for inspec
tion after being received at the
cable station.
Capt. Hill declared that the
British naval attache in Rio showed
him "sheaves of messages" handed
over to him to be given to British
agents They had been filed by
Americans for transmission by the
cables.
Il saw them with my own eyes,
Capt Hill asserted.
Following Capt. Hills testimony,
Mr.. Carlton was asked by Senator
Kellogg If this was the usual prac-
tice where it is necessary to use
British cables. He replied that 1t
was. especially in London.
After the messages are in our
office about twenty-four hours" he
said. they are taken in the original
form to the naval intelligence bu-
reau. where they are minutely ex-
amined. They are not held for CEN
sorship, bu tare inspected for the
information that is in them.
We complained about it to the
British authorities. who replied that
they wanted the messages only SO
far as they concerned disorders
which we supposed referred to Ire
land and Russia"
rs this not subject to abuse?' in
duired Senator Kellogg.
1T is subject to misunderstanding
at least" replied Mr.. Carlton.
Does it apply to diplomatic mes
sages as well?" Senator Kelloge
asked.
II think they are excepted" Mr.
Carlton replied. although / am Rot
certain. The British government de.
clared that no use has been made oi
any of the information contained in
the commercial messages and cbal-
lenged US to produce a single in
stance to this effect"
Ordered Protest.
Carlton said the Western Union
protested emphatically against Civ
ing the British authorities the COM
mercial messages.
II ordered our vice president in
London to refuse to give them the
messages" said Carlton. 1--WE would
have closed our cables IL the British
authorities had made an improper
use of the messages. But they as
sured US that the messages, 80 per
cent OF which are in code, are not
decoded. and that the only reason
they want to look them over is to
keep an eye on messages for Aues
to threatened internal disturbances
in the British empire.
John Goldhammer. secretary of
the Commercial Cable Company
testified that all South American
business received by his company is
routed over the All-American cable
line where possible. but that al
messages from the East coast anc
Northern Brazil are sent to Londor
and thence over the lines of the
Western Telegraph Company. q
British concern.
Frederick K. Nelson, solicitor OF
the State Department, was sent tc
the committee hearing by Acting
Secretary Davis to throw some light
on the controversy between the gov.
ernment and the Western Union
Company over the proposed cable
landing at Miami. He told the com.
mittee that the Western Union was
warned in writing not to attemp,
to land the cable unless 1t had ar
executive permit, and that when the
department became convinced that
an attempt to land the cable "surrep-
titiously'' was to be made, orders
were given by President Wilson to
the Navy Department to prevent it
He defended the use of force
against which Mr.. Carlton had COM
planned; II was necessary because the
section OF cable from the three-mile
buoy to the shore could be laid very
quickly and resort to a court in
junction would have been futile.
Mr.. Nelson denied that the State
Department made representations to
the British authorities at Barbados
demanding that the cable should not
be laid. Mr.. Carlton insisted that
the Western Union Company had in
formation that such representations
were made. He declared also that
the Cuban government had been in
formed by the American Minister
that IL a permit is granted to land
the Rarbadoes cable at Havana in
bead Of Miami this government will
regard It ~ an unfriendly act.