The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-06
ACTION OCCURS ON
 HIGH SEAS 4 MILES
 0FF FLORIDA COAST
Entire Crew of Cable Layer Is Placed Under Arrest and Vessel Taken to the
 Port of Miami
By Associated Press


 department was without advices to- night concerning the action of the sub chaser 1854 in holding up the Western Union cable ship Robert c. Clowery off Miami, Fla, late today, but was endeavoring to get into communica- tion with the naval authorities there tonight.
 Miami, Fla, March 5--Work of con meeting the Western Union Miami Barbados cable begun again today, was abruptly halted late this after noon when the United States sub chaser 154 appeared and opened fire on the cable ship Robert C. Clowery and placed the entire crew under arr rest.
 The entire action took place cN J the high seas about four miles off
 the coast of Minma beach, near the
 buoy that had been attached to the
 end of the cable when it was laid
 from the three mile limit of the
 United States to Barbadoes by the
 British cable ship Coionis, last
 summer.
 The Robert c. Clowery arrived off Miami today from Jacksonville to start work on connecting the cable, and had picked up the loose end when the SUD chaser arrived on the scene. Signals hoisted by the naval vessel, it is said, were disregarded by the cable ship, after which a shot was fired by the sub chaser across the bow of the Glow cry, which promptly hove to-
 CREW ARRESTED
 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 Glow cry tied up at the municipal dock the entire crew was placed under arrest. py local naval authorities.
 It is said that late tonight the crew was released from arrest by Lieutenant Murray, aide for information for the seventh naval district. Todays clash between the navy and the Western Union Telegraph company was the set ond that has occurred in the efforts ot the government to prevent the landing of, the Barbadoes cable in Miami. An attempt to run the cable across the channel on the western side of the causeway last summer was prevented by armed forces of the navy. and sub chaser has been stationed here ever since to prevent a repetition of the cable laying operations.
 President Wilson instructed the navy department to prevent the landing of the Miami Bar badoes cable here, and at the time the British cable ship Colonia was sent here to start work of laying the cable, four destroyers were sent to Miami to prevent the wire rom being brought ashore.
 The Colonia tied an end of the cable to buoy on Miami beach outside the three mile limit, and proceeded with the cable laying operations on the high seas between that point and Bar- badoes. Two destroyers accompanied the Colonia' on this trip but did not prevent the laying of the cable on the high seas.
 INJUNCTION DISMISSED
 Last week in the New York federal court the injunction against the West ern Union Telegraph company, prevent ing the landing of the cable, was set aside, and the telegraph company was successful in securing a court order restraining the government from in terfering with the work, accordins to news dispatches received here.
 Local naval authorities have never had their previous orders to prevent the landing of the cable revoked, it is un- derstood, and it is said that today's action by the sub chaser, 154, in pre- venting the landing of the cable was in accordancej with orders issued by Secretary of the Navy Daniels last summer.
 Newcomb Carlton, president of the Western Union Telegraph company, in a visit to Miami several days ago, in- timated that a new effort would sba made by the Western Union to land the cable here, as soon as the Wilson ad- 11.-<. n ing regime, and expressed his belief that the Harding government would take a more liberal attitude than did the former one, and not prevent an American company from doing what it's charter permitted it to do.'
 Over year ago the Western unior made application to President Wilson fol . permit to land the cable at Miami, un der the federal law requiring a pres eign cables in the United States, an( this was never issued. The telegraph company went ahead and prepared |; bring the cable to Miami without tn, presidential permission. and the effor was stopped by the government.
 It is said the government is opposed t' the Miami-Barbadoes cable on tn, ground that the cable would be British owned and that the company has a mo nopoiy in cable communications to Bra sil.
 This contention of the government ha been denied by the Western Union which has give nassurances that the ca ble is American-owned and has sub mitted copies of it's contract to shov that it was not a monopolistic affair
 The operation of the Miami- Barbadoe cable would make possible direct cable communications between the Unite. States and the eastern coast of Soul America, the cable connecting at Barba does with cable between Barbadoe and Brazil. At the present time, cabl messages to the eastern coast of Souti America must be sent to Europe ant relayed to South America by way Q Barbadoes.
 DENIES LANDING ATTEMPT
 New York. March 5.--Newcomb Carl ton president of the Western Uniol Telegraph company, when informed to night that United States sub chasel had opened fire on the Robert c. Glow cry, the Western Union cable ship, au tEorized the following statement:
 No effort whatever has been made | lay the cable to Miami beach. The Glow fey has been ordered to make test o the cable thus far laid, 10 sec If 1t is | good condition, and to make a report o its conditioa to the combany.