Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-03-06
WARSH|P FIRES ON
CABLE VESSEL OF
WESTERN UNION
Robert c. Clowery Tries to
Land Wire OF
Miami.
ACTION TAKES PLACE
FOUR MILES OFF SHORE
Company's Craft Disclaims ANY
Effort to Land
Line.
NAVY W1THO ADvICES
t'ndcavoring to Get in Touch With
submarine Chaser by Wireless.
States Department.
NAVY WITHOUT ADy1cEs
Endcaroring to Get in Touch With
Submarine Chaser by Wireless,
States Department.
TBy Associated Press.l

MIAMI. FLA, March 5.--Wore of
connecting the Western Union Miami
i'ai badocs cable. begun again TO-DAY
WAS abruptly halted late this after
noon when the United States sub
chascr 1914 appeared and opened fire
on the cable ship Robert C. Clowe-v
and placed the entire, crew under mr..
rest &,
The Robert C. clowery .erriyea on
Miami today from Jachsonyii,s
to start work on connecting tho
cable. and had picked up the loose
end when the sub chaser arrived on
the scene. Signals hoisted by the
naval vessel. 1t is id. were disre-
garded by the cable ship. after which
shot was fired by the sub-chnser
across the bow OF the Clowery, which
promptly hove TO.
The entire action took place on the
high seas about four miles off the
coast OF Miami Beach, near the buoy
that had been attached to the end OF
the cable when 1t was laid from the
three-milc limit OF the United States
to Barbados by the British cable
ship Colonia last summer.
Captain Smith. OF the Clowery. was
ordered to desist from the cable
work. and both vessels entered the
port of Miami this afternoon. When
the Clowery tied up ut the municipal
dock the entire crew was placed un-
der arrest by local naval authorities.
1t Is said that late tonight tho :,
crew was released from arrest by
Lieutenant Murray. aid for Informal
tion for the seventh naval district.
Todny's clash between the navy and
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany was the second that has oc-
Cured in the efforts OF the govern.
ment to prevent tho landing Of this
Rarbadoes cable in Miami. An at
tempt to run the cable across the
channel on tho western side of the
causeway last summer was prevented
by armed forces of the navy. and
subchaser has been stationed here
ever since to prevent n repetition on
the cable-laying operations.
President Wilson instructed the
Navy Department TO prevent the
landing of the Observation-Disclosures cable
here and at the time the British
cable ship Colonia was sent here to
start work of laying the cable, four
dcstroyers were sent to Miami to
prevent the wire from being brought
ashore.
The Colonia tied an end of the
cable to buoy on Miami Beach, out
side the three-mile limit and pro-
ceeded with the cable-layinE opera-
lions on the high seas between that
point aud Barbados. Two destroyers
N rl hn NJ
but did not prevent the laying Of the
cable on the high seas.
Last week in the New York Federal
Court thc Injunction against the
Western Union Telegraph COMPANY
preventing the landing of the cable
was set aside. and the telegraph com
pany was successful in sec6ring
court order restraining tho govern
mcnt from Interfering, with the work
according 10 news dispatches received (
here
Local. naval authorities have never
had their previous orders TO preveks.
the landing OF the cable revoked, les
is understood, and II is said that to -
days action by the sub chaser 15i inn
preventing the landing of the cable
was in accordance with orders ISSUED
by Secretary OF the Navy Daniels lass
summer
Newcomb Carlton. president of the
Western Union Telegraph Company.
in n visit to Miami several days ago.
animated that a new effort would he
made by the Western Union to land
the cable here. as soon as the Wilson
administration was replaced by the
IIar. T.
belief that the Harding government
would take a more liberal attitude
than did the former one and NOR
prevent an American company from
doing what its charter permitted it to
do"
Over year ago the Western Union
made application to President ssFiison
for permit TO land the cable at
Miami. under the Federal law re-
curing Il presidential permit for tho
landing OF foreign cables in tho
United states and this was never Is
sued. The telegraph company went
ahead and prepared to bring the cable
to Miami without the presidential
permission and the effort was stopped
by the government.
1t IS said the government is OPP
posed 10 the Miami Barbados cable
on the ground that the cable would
be British owned and Mat the COM
rany has u monopoly In cable COM
municat!ons TO Brazil.
This contention CT tho government
has been denied By tho Western
Union. which has given assurances
that the cable is Amsrican-owned and Z
has submitted copies OF It's contract
Continued on ye . Col -