The Hawaiian Islands were anneed by the United States and war was declared with Spain, and you will remember that in '1899 the Philippines and Mariana - Istands (Guam) were annexed. - It was then universally recognized that an all-American cable had become an absolute necessity.
'The project received the strongest support in the senate, but wher the senate passed a bill' favouring private construction, the house! wanted government ownership, and when the senate passed a bill for government construction, the house Wanted a private company to build 'This kind of experience continued until the winter of 1901, and would probably have continued' mush long ex, but for the timely intervention of the late John W. Mackay, the president of the Commercial 'Cable €o., who offered to lay the call: without subsidy or guarantee of any' kind, and solely as a private busi ness' enterprise. But" notwith standing Mr. Mackay's liberal offer which involved the expenditure of millions of dollars without risk to the government, several bills were! introduced in the next session of] congress in favour of government, construction, and apparently endless obstacles were thrown in the way of the new enterprise,—The! sentiment of the country, however, was in favour of a private cable and the Chambers of Commerce all over the United States were in favour of private ownership. Congress was at length brought to recognize this fact,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.