The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-23
Government Wins
Dramatic Contest
When Congress Acts
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
(CopyrI.nI ~ tne ln;ciitScnc"r)

Wa>n.as:~n. Ma. = Tie A-sma,i"
nh; A-twr'v a.. Western lai"m Tc!"-
ray ,ompaa! Iad ~, CntcG State
government over The rIShi :" lay a ";,h!'
: MiIn! l'la.. Nh!"a ""Gh. connect
- With I Eru!,h Owuci '"rnpany Il
.'nt-"lhnS american c"mmunl'at!"n q
south .NnCrlc., has come to an end w.tE
victor! for the government.
Not hy decision OF a court not !!
naval action as seemed AZ one time nee
SSary but tArouSh the Influence "t Sec
,"tary OF State Hughes both houses "t
"ncr"sS hav" now passed 4 H'H ao>o-
Eutc!y renewing all doubt a> 10 the
81. sat ut thc chier executive 10 refuse
- rranf Permits u land cables in n"
Iu!tcd States. The meas ALL hr
.cncd by President Harding and Will
"CvOwe Ian IN ~ few days.
The race between the Western Union
10 hich hoped that IN" Surrcm" c"ur;
would hand down a decision hct"r" CON
-rcSS could act. and tn" government
nhtCh successfully urged congress ("
"uSh thu measure through and beat N"
. curtis .!cc:S'on. : at an md. Congress
as acted. Thr cases before thc courts
Tow become hypO,hctiCa. o. moot cases
nd as such can have no validity.
Tho western Unions Hopes
The reason tur the Western Uniou'S
one that A favorable decision OF th-
,HurtS might ,, handed down before
ongrCSS rcuiL ac; VAS u Sup5oSitiNn
rat th' tinted states navy would be
.nahlc 70 rrr>Put thc landing OF IN"
able at Miami If the courts upheld the
Western Union An! ;h"n ii tn. raht
>aS ON, landed Il would p. 6ihiCGlt
or the government ~ 1'Spla"" ;hc
" eStrrn Uninn vahlc--it wnuiG b. an a''-
.rmprIShrG fact ,,'id nc courts haN" IL
. Tcct held that ;hc actual landing W
.'c cable iS n itself step that .In"ot
. upset by Cx."utiIc decree. That's
Vhy ,lic navy has Kept watch on IN"
Western Union cable boat in Florida
EATERS and has resisted every attempt
- connect American territory with me
British rab," running from RraG!I. Sew
-al attempts 70 test the cables hay"
oecn "rniNundcrStood by the navy" ac-
."rdinE ~ the Western tnt"n and
ashes have 90, UrrrI IN the vicinity VI
Miami. All this ;euSton has been o'caS-
,"n"l hS the knowledge OF IN" govern
3u"ul on INC one hand tha: Tn" rights
Z the executive 70 issue cable permits
adj never ben sharply defined and me
'".iinS O. nc Western tnion :ha' x
hry once landed II" caoi". no law could
'ipS,.t the arr;InErtrnnt without a big
uamaGe suit for II would In effect be
.ontsca:ion OF p-"p'rt;'
Fought at Every Step
The Wilson administration fought the
Western Union 1T every step IN its et-
ort 70 land L cable. And now the
Harding administration has adopted ex-
city the stand OF the preceding admin
.-tration and gone step farther. Il
las secured the enactment OF i Ia" that
vii hereafter give the president Of the
= a!tcd States the right 70 Say whether
any foreign Conccru can land - c;toi"
a American territory. This is Of vast
nportancr As Il reciprocal right. For
=
UuntrlcS have not been giving Aneri-
an concerns the same privileges whicR
European companies have enjoyed IL
ms Ccuntr! and there has been no way
- compel equality Of treatment unit!
jH. american government obtained jur4
.,diCtion over the Hhplc thing. Il Is
apt an attempt ~ bring about govern
lu-nt ownership or control Of cable C"nI-
,runication but an effort 10 prevent for
. ign concerns from taking undue adj
:tntage " American companies. For
. Nampl" :. F-"uck concern could open
" ,lcGrapn Offices in the tinted States
Ior the distribution OF It's cables and SO
-ould L EritISa company but the govern
rent 81 Franc" has thus far refused 10
',"rmit American Cdolc or wireless Goa
,-rnS |" distribute their messages
'hrouShoIr France BY their own system
e local telegraph wires or offices.
Back OF It All
Their, - 1T course back OF The ds-
putr between ID" Western Un:nn and
, ~, American government something De
,'des merc la"-.'' involves Il question
t saving an american Owned rabl..
"ulpnn! from tn drStrU"tIy" romp"ti-
.ou OF ErrtiSh company whi'l has
f"rmrt an IiltIHcc with tn. Western
: nion. Tho "NN-Ameriran" "abl" com.
any which Is owned BY American cli-
T"nS CT, rates cables 20 both coasts Of
south .NlncrIv., put is prcN"nlrd from
~ Imn"ns" system ut III" ", stern
.,yinE cables along The Brazilian coast
because the EritiSh company h.ts, :, mru-
'riy there. IL" Western Union and IN"
British C0iGHIny arranged "a lay 4 ca
r,r along the brazilian coast which
.,ould connect up through Miami with
; Mon tn tn" United Stat,S. This
could mean Kant all messages collected
r arouS Shout the tnitrd States would DO
-cHt through Miami and "u 10 South
\mHri"a through BRITISH company
bus taking away much OF the business
which ~" \N-.\merlCan cable company
yAS bc'u getting from thr United States
H.cauSe I has been IN" only drrc.
rabl" rnmpan! reaching South AprriC:,
The Western lutou made IN" rOnT.rr.
ng argument that American messages
'raI Cl 20 IL, .NZOr'I over NIn"rI -;
, able Inns only 70 hr connected mp Hith
HritlSn and HNrturu"Se cables thor" and
. ontsnd"d trIc In prinCipl" this wasn't
4 biz different ;han sending - message
rom NiaT. !" liarbIdocS over n .Nn-
. riCdn Gable and transferring Ia Z
SritiSr "ah," line To ~ $cnt frOrI Ra--
nadOeS 10 Brazil and on1arG.
Question Of Policy
IN pr,n,Ipic thcr" isn't any d.ir. +, acc
md from Il l"G.N point of View IN"
NeSt"rn lni"u hd> made i good AS"
t.ut tl,r question which ha~ been con
'r"r,rnE tn" government Ia. not l""n
~" ~ l.r but nI police. Shalt : ls7It-
III rUn;oan? cen though Il aiui'Lt"S
ca"lt with ~ American concern form
:, combination ti',t d"Stru"S In entirely
NT"ricIn r.Ihi' Company and r"m"r IS
he ,1Gyrn'Lg" hrretof"r. "nj"y"d Of
..AIlnc on direct l;ue I" south Anrr;"t
over whi.U thc United states GOVERN
:urnt a. We'll a. Am"r:c"E business con
crns could send messages without t"rr
that they HOui'! fail int" tn" hands Of
other Hnreran"n,S or competitors.
SECRETARY Hughes has thuS far re-
fused 70 tax" Sld.N as between thr MI
american Clhi" company OF the Western
i'nion. h"H Il" discovered nat tho
power, J" promptly SGT about 70 eCt
tnat power. Now tn" prcSih'nt has 'hc
right To- :r,r' - t. Ok" Cable permits
and tn Sp""It" conditions under which
r,b{"> may 90 landed. Th" .\ii-Am"ri-
can cable company ha4 said that il tho
Western Untnu USrd itS !ntluenr" with
rnc Kr,t.$h ""muany affiliated with II
10 got ~" munDp,y on thu brazilian
oaAt r. rnnN ed her" SrrIiG hv no oh jcC-
'fon to IN" ,nndirg nf tn" rahl" IL
Miami. In IL" md th"r" will probably
p" another ,Ah." :" south Amrri".,
hrourn Miami nS i; IS very much
-rcdch- bur H." chances arc th, Amer
.ran gnNcrnmrrt viii now lay down
r."nd t!nnS that VII destroy tho Aii-Arn-
e. e-ic:tu r,hl" comrAnS'S BUSINESS o@p"r-
tunIti"-.
STRIFE NOT sUccESSYUr,