THE PACIFIC CABLE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1523, 28 February 1901, Page 65

THE PACIFIC CABLE.

Opposition is'already being threatened a* London, says the “Manchester Guardian/’ to the all-British Pacific cable via Fanning Island, involving the long span of 3500 nautical miles. Business men are dissatisfied .. because a long span means slow and expensive working; and, as matters stand, the French Atlantic cable from Brest to Cape Cod, of 3174 nautical miles, is, not a financial success owing to the expense of cabling over so Ip ng a span. The committee of Lloyd’s very naturally points to Honolulu, in Hawaii, as the natural landing point, since all the shipping goes there, whereas Fanning is a barren island. The Australians are justly indignant, because a landing at Honolulu, in addition to making the rate much cheaper, would intersect with ' the proposed cables thence to the United States on the one «ide and to the Philippines and China on the’other side; The artificial route which Mr Chamberlain proposes for adoption is sometimes defended on strategical grounds. To this the natural retort is, What strategical grounds, and who are the. authorities ? ' So far the naval men Have been hostile to the Fanning Island route, though Lord Selfcorae did not have their view explained to his committee on the question in 1896 and 1897. Admiral Wharton, when questioned, pronounced emphatically against it; and Lord Selhorae will find .put, now 1 he is at the Admiralty, and* has the advice of the Naval Intelligence Department, what a blunder he has made. ■ Colonel Sir. George Clarke, in May last, said at. the United Service. Institution, ..that the line taken is in opposition to the views, of the secrot conference of representatives from each Government which in 1891 ‘ f discussed tMs question very fully and went into its strategic aspects.* He added: “I went into that conference with a sort of general idea that a cable was no use unless it never touched anywhere except on a British shore; that it ought to be laid in the deepest water possible, and in the longest lengths possible. I came out with an absolutely different opinion on all these -points, after having discussed the thing fully and heard the evidence of experts on the subject.’* One Conservative member of the House, Sir John Colomb, has already pronounced against the all-British Pacific cable; and Sir John is a great authority on these questions. The fact of the matter is that the Government has Been influenced, by considerations altogether outside the merits of the quesLord Strathcona, a director in two companies which will- get the entire traffic iof the all-British cable, was a member of the committees which decided the question. I refer to the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Commercial Cable Company, the latter of which is an American and not an English company.”