New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-16
Calls Upon u. $.
To Rival Britain
I'm Cable Lines
Walter s. Rogers Points TO
Need of Wire Policy. in
Address Made Before
Institute of Politics
Empire Dominates Field
Williamstown Speaker Says
Azores Would Make Ideal
Head for European Lines
spee.a. psspatos to The rrssnrs


WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass, Aug. I5.--
The necessity of definite cable policy
for the United States in order to end
Great Britain's dominance in this field
and the early establishment of an in
dependent American system were adj
vocased before the Institute Of Politics
to-day by Walter s. Rogers, chairman
OF the conference on international
communications. Mr.. Rogers particu-
larly pointed to the fact that the
United States had not received salts
faction from Great Britain and France
over the cables taken from Germany.
Mr.. Rogers declared that Great
Britain held three world supremaeies
by dominating the seas, trade and the
worlds communications. He pointed
out that America has no cable making
plant and produced no cable apparatus,
while England sold and laid cables.
Rogers, were so carefully charted
by Great Britain that she could locate
and cut them whenever she pleased.
Diverted Cable From New York
Mr. Rogers said that after America
entered the war England diverted the
cable which used to connect America
with the Azores from New York, where
it now formed part of the British 'tall-
red' route to the British Pacific pos
sessions. A movement was also on
foot in Britain to provide penny
word press rate for the whole Of the
British Empire, and Mr.. Rogers be-
lieved the time would come when the
cable party in Britain would be able
to put through penny a word rate
within the empire for private messages
as we'll.
America had also been backward In
developing her communications in the
Pacific, where Japan had offered to. CO.
operate with. the American government
in the development of cheaper cable
communications with the East. British
commercial interests were particularly
anxious to have a cheap cable service
to the East.
Mr.. Rogers tsaced the maneuvers
which long delayed the efforts of the
Germans to utilize the Azores as q
relay station for cables to the United
States. Referring to tfse present in
corruption to cables touching Ireland,
he urged the necessity for more cables
between the United States and the
Azores as an alternative route and as
freeing the United States from de-
pendence upon Great Britain for cable
landings. He said:
While the British monopolistic
concession at the Azores has expired,
the Portuguese government hesitates to
grant landing rights to American COM
panies, probably because of influence
brought to bear by the British cable
companies, who look askance at the
United States gaining greater cable
freedom. In order to permit wide
extension of American cable contacts
every effort should be made to make
the Azores easily available and free
from possible interference by foreign
companies or third governments for
cable relay purpose, the Azores being
ideally located for becoming great
cable center, with cables radiating to
various places in Europe, Africa, South
and North America.
"The Azores should virtually be In
ternationalized as cable center and
the powers by treaty obligated, even in
time of war, not to seize control of the
cables landed there. Portugal would