The Washington herald., 1921-07-03
CABLE MEN POINT
NEED OF FURTHER
WIREFACILITIES
Report Made to Meeting
Of International Com
merce Body.
TELLS WAR DANGER
U. S. Nearly Cut of from Al
lies by Breakage in Service
During World Conflict.
TELLS WAR DANGER

LONDON. July 2.-How nearly the
United States came to being cut OH
from cable communication with its
allies during the world war as
result of the submarine menace Is
told for the first time in report
on the communications situation in
the United States, submitted today
to the International Chamber OF
Commerce, in session at London, py
the American delegates.
This report was prepared by
committee of leading American
business men who are interested in
or connected with the communica-
tions industry. Col. John ]. Carly.
vice president ana chief engineer or
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, New York, headed
the committee.
Cables Cut to Eight.
AT one time" says the report.
there were only eight cables to
Europe in operation in the North
Atlantic as compared with seven
teen in service at the beginning OF
hostilities"
The report points out that great
difficulty was experienced in repair
ing the cables because of the sub
marine menace and this trouble
was accentuated by the holding Of
the available cable repair vessels
for long periods on active service
within the war zone. The cable
facilities were further reduced by
the interruption of two German
cables.
Further difficulties arose through
the calling out of cable and land
line employees for military service"
the report says. This difaculty
was rather promptly corrected with
respect to cable employees. but land
line operations continued under
considerable disabilities from this
cause during the entire war period.
Added to these reductions in
facilities and drafts upon the op-
Grating forces was a very great in
crease in trafic, which during the
latter part of the war period, as a
result OF increased governmental
business and restrictions on the use
OF cable codes, rose to practically
double prewar volume. This exces-
sive load was only in part relieved
by the rapid development Of trans
Atlantic radio facilities under mill
| tary auspices"
Same With Asia.
Communication with Asiatic and
South American countries was sub
ject to similar dificulties, according
| to the report.
The commercial importance Of the
Island of Zap as a cable station is
apparent from the report. 1t is set
! forth that the restoration to serv-
ice of the former German cables
centering at, Yap Is needed to help
relieve the present overburdened
transPaciic cable service.
Other measures of relief contem-
plated are the laying of a new
cable following the route of the
existing cable to Japan and the
erection of a higher power radio
station in China The carrying out
Of these projects will substantially
improve the trans-Pacific service, II
is said.
Other projected facilities dis
cussed include the development of
radio stations to help relieve the
submarine cables
See Need for Peace.
In the opinion of the committee.
the future peace and commerce of
the world depend in a large meas
ure on adequate means of COM
munication. The committee urged
the delegates of the eleven coun-
tries represented at the conferenc
to help create public sentiment in
their respective countries favora BILE
to the most liberal encouragement
OF the building up of the various
lntra national and International
communication networks"