The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-20
Direct Wire to Germany After
Eight Years.
Postal Makes Cooperative Con-
tract With German Company.
SUPPLANTS CAPTURED LINES
British and French Now Hold
Two Old Lines.
New Cable To Be Operating in
October, 1928.

new OFk, JAN. GOs-(1dEGnCS IL
Mackay, president of the Commercial
Cables-Posta1, announces a contract
with the German Atlantic Cable COM
pany, German corporation, under
the terms of which direct cable COM
munication with Germany will be re-
stored after a lapse of about eight
years.
This contract, which has Just been
signed, calls for the laying of a new
cable between New York and Emden,
Germany, with the cable touching at
the Azores. It is to be completed and
in operation by October, 1928.
The arrangement provided for the
Commercial Cable company to lay a
cable from New York to the Azores
(2,50S miles,, and for the German
company to make the connection be-
tween the Azores and Emden (1,S0S
miles, the two sections will be Joined
at the Azores station and all messages
will be transferred automatically from
one to the other, thus giving what vir-
tually will be instantaneous service
between the two companies.
The contract further provides that
the Commercial Cables-Postal Tele-
graph system shall hand to the German
company all messages collected by
them in the United States destined for
Germany and that the German COM
pany shall reciprocate by sending all
of it's American traffic via the Com
mercial Cables-Postal Telegraph sys-
tenn.
First Cable Since War.
The laying of this new cable is the
first attempt of resumption OF dlrect
communication between the United
States and Germany. During the war
there was no cable communication be-
tween Germany and the United States,
since the signing of the Armistice all
cable messages sent between the two
countries have had to pass either tnr1
England or France. This plan has
not proven satisfactory to American
business interests and the new cable
is being put down in response to a
wide spread demand on the part of
commercial houses, banking 1nstItu-
tions and others interested in the
trade relations of the United States
and Germany for better commumca-
ton facilities.
Prior to the outbreak Of the world
war there were two cables between
the United States and Germany and
both were operated by the CONNER
cial Gable company, altho owned by
The first of these was laid in 1900 and
the second in 1904. They extended
from New York to the Azores 5and
thence to Emden, Germany.
The sections between Emden and
the Azores were cut in the English
CHANNEL by the British admiralty
within an hour after Great Britain de-
clared war upon Germany, August
5th, 1914, and from then until March,
1917. lay dormant. In March 1917
they again were cut by the British
government at point more than SEQ
miles from New York and one of the
cables under agreement between Great
Nd diverted into
Halifax, Nova Scotia and Penzance,
England, and since July 1917 has been
used by the British government as
part of it's Imperial Telegraph and
Cable System.
The French government did not re-
move the other erstwhile German ca
BILE from American shores, but in No
vember, 1917, the French cable ship
"Jeramac'' arrived at New York and
cut both cables some five miles from
their landing places at the CONNER
ciaI Cable company's station at Far
Rockaway and diverted one of them
into the French Gable company's sta
ton at Coney Island. The end di-
verified to the French Gable company
station was put into operation by that
company under control of the French
government between New York and
Brest, France, via the Azores.
Now Issue With Allies.
'Ino Q1SpOS1tlOH OIL THESE TWO eA-
German cables" said Mr.. MacHay in
his statement yesterday, sis now in
the hands of the five allied powers to
whom the cables were ceded by Ger
many under the treaty of peace and
the Commercial Cable company has
filed a very substantial claim against
them account. of its former contract
for the operation of these cables,
which contract was impossible of re-
at the close OF the war be-
cause of the seizure of the cables by
the British and French governments.
In making the contract for the lay
ing of the new German cable the
Commercial Cable company in no way
cedes any of it's rights or claims
against the allied powers in connec-
ton with the former German cables"
The laying of the new German ca
BILE is part of the Commercial Cable
program of expansion. 1t
was announced by that COM
pany that it had made application to
the state department for a license to
Law a SncOOd tranSDa cific ca BILE