Albany Advertiser
10 March 1898.
The proposal for an all-British cable to Australia is rapidly approaching the practical stage. It has long been recognised that the present cable route would be of little service in time of war because it passes through so many territories that are not under British control. Then in past years there have been frequent and serious interruptions on the land lines.
A few years ago there was only one route across the continent and the West Australian section was then provided. The cable to Port Darwin at one time failed and as at the time the anti-Asiatic question was very prominent, it was imagined that the cable had been cut by the Chinese who were swopping down on Australian ports.
The interruptions on the line have not, however, been brought home to many people so prominently as recently. The interruptions occurred during the test cricket matches and when the people at home were unable to get news as to what fortune their team was meeting with, they complained loudly. Nothing could better show the imperial character of these matches than the fact that no news regarding them coming to hand brought the question of a better cable service between Australia and Europe forcibly before the public.
It has been found that these land lines are very defective. A while ago the lines between this colony and Adelaide were working very badly owing, it was said, to the prevalence of mists from the sea and at the same time the Port Darwin line was down. Should the lines break down in war time it would be a very serious matter for the fleet would be without information and without instructions.
Some months ago the question of an all-British cable came before the British Government and a commission was appointed to deal with it. After making full inquiries, the Committee reported at first in favor of a cable being laid from the Cape to Mauritius to Rodriguez Island and to Fremantle. Afterwards they amended their route to Albany on the ground that, if the line were taken to Fremantle, it would mean a land line to Adelaide and the distance to Adelaide would be increased by 1,500 miles. They therefore adopted Albany as the landing place in this colony and proposed to carry the cable on to Adelaide by sea.
There are several things in favor of this latter route. In the first place it is almost a direct line from Mauritius to Albany whereas to take the line to Fremantle would mean that it would have to be carried north from the direct line and then back again round the Leeuwin.
Then Albany as a fortified port would be a safer landing place than Fremantle. The protection of the cable landing places is a special feature in the defence schemes of the Empire and as the Imperial Government has undertaken to assist in the defence of Albany, this port would be a better place for the landing station than a port on the west coast. There is a great probability of Albany being made a naval base though probably it will be a commodore's station rather than an admiral's station. There would be nothing gained by the Company adopting Fremantle as the landing station because the cable would do intercolonial business. The Government lines would still be used for the forwarding of messages to the other colonies, the cable being restricted to foreign business. It is quite evident that the commission and also the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company are in favor of the Albany route, and all that remains to be done is to get the colonies to agree to the route and the terms on which the cable has to be worked.
Will there be any opposition? We should not be surprised to hear that, as the Western Australian Government considers Albany to be round the corner, they are urging that the cable should be landed at Fremantle. Their policy is - everything for Fremantle, nothing for Albany. Should they take this stand in this matter, they will, if they do nothing else, create a good deal of amusement in Imperial circles. The proposal to make Albany the landing station for the All-British cable is of great importance to us. The Company would have a station here and also a large staff while it is also probable that a repairing ship would lie here. Then as soon as it was decided to run the cable, it would be necessary to make considerable additions to the defences of the port and this would mean both an increase in the garrison and the stationing of warships here.
Altogether the scheme is so important that the people of Albany will no doubt take a keen interest in it and will await the final decision with some anxiety.