Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06

the LAtin-AmeFican telephone field and
have gained there an assured and rapid
foothold, with incalculable results for
the promotion Of trade and commerce
and for future international relations.
The work of connecting the new inter-
continental radio telephone system was
undertaken slightly more than a year
ago, and Is now In efncient working
order.
Within the last two years the de-
velopment Of radio and telephone
communications between the United
States and Latin America and between
the various Latin American republics
on both continents, has been phe-
nomenal. John L. Merrill, president Of
All-America Gables, recently stated that,
taken as q whole, the changing COM
municationS picture in South America
Is one of radio and wire collaboration,
with wireless telephone, wireless tele-
graph, land telephone, land wires and
submarine cables united together 10
perform the common task of linking
cities and countries to each other and
the rest OF Gne world. It expresses
graphically our belief in co-ordinated
radio and cable communications One
Is supplemental to the other"
Operates Submarine Gables.
telephone communications with Latin
America has gone hand in hand. The
present all-embracing network is largely
the work Of the International Telephone
d. Telegraph Corporation with It's
affiliated systems, which was organized
to develop electrical communications in
all its branches in the international
field 1t furnishes telephone service in
and between Argentina, Brazil, Chile.
Cuba, Mexico, Porto Rico, Spain,
Uruguay and the United States, and has
developed both a telephone and tele-
graph radio service in Argentina, Chile,
Peru Colombia, Brazil and Spain, In
addition to the radio-telephone service
lust inaugurated between North and
South America.
Through the All-America Gables, Inc,
IL owns or operates about 10000 nauti-
cal miles Of submarine telegraph cables
and connecting land lines extending
from New York through the West Indies,
Panama Canal Zone and Central Amer
lea to the west and east coasts of South
America. The same corporation plans
to lay a telepohne cable between North
and South America in the future, In
addition to the radio telephone service
already established. At present this
concern Is the only American company
that has established a complete system
throughout Latin America.
Line Pushed Through Mountain.
Many new and complicated engineer.
ing problems were overcome in con.
structing the new intercontinental tele-
phone system. To establish land line
telephone service between Montevideo
and BuenoS Ayres a subfluvial cable had
to be laid under the River Plate, one
Of the broadest rivers Of the world,
while In Chile the circuit had to cross
one of the highest mountain ranges by
means Of an underground cable to over
come the perils of an Andean Winter.
In Argentina q curious engineering
problem was encountered in the form
of giant cobwebS, blown by high winds
into the wires and causing short
circuits.
To give an individual instance of the
rapidity with which Latin America is
becoming telephone-wise, take the case
of Chile, which In six months of 1929
increased its telephone service by 50
per cent. Modern automatic telephones
are replacing the older type, and q
thousand lines of the old system are to
be replaced this year by q thousand
lines of automatic equipment.
There are IS telephone organizations
operating in Chile, Of which the largest,
the Chile Telephone Co., associated with
the International Telephone System
since 1928, was recently granted q so.
year concession by the Chilean govern
ment. Since January, 1928, this COM
pany has spent $4,000, 900 pesos in i'm
provements and plant extensions, and
plans to invest 35,000,00o pesos annual
IL during the next 10 years In irnprov.
ing its services.