Clarence H. MacKay to Robert Lansing

The international questions being considered at the Peace Conference impel me to suggest the great importance of taking some action to provifde a greater measure of security for submarine cables against avoidable interruption.

In this connection I would respectfully call your attention to the Submarine Telegraph Convention of March 14th, 1884, for the protection of Submarine cables, a copy of which I attach. All the powers signatories of that convention realized the great importance of provoiding some means of protection against, not only malicious, but careless and avoidable interruption of cables. It undoubtedly had the effect of safeguarding cables to a large extent against damage by anchors, but it does not provide sufficient protection to guard against the more and increasingly destructive effect of trawl fishing.

In the year 1908 this Company and kother cable companies having cables landed on the European coast, suffered considerably from interruptions by fishing trawlers. The matter was taken up with the British Government by your Department and by the American Ambassador in London, with the result that the British Government appointed a commission to examine it. Evidence was produced by all the cable companies proving conclusively the damage done by trawlers to cables. As a result of the investigation the commission caused a notice to be sent out by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries of Great Britain to owners and masters of vessels with a view to obtainintg relief from damage to the cables. A copy of that notice is enclosed for your information. This notice was observed by British trawlers but was ignored by foreign trawlers fishing on the same grounds. We thought it should be possible to protect the zone covered by submarine cables against trawling but the difficulty which arose was that if the British Government made such a regulation covering its own trawlers, it would not be respected by trawlers of foreign nationality and consequently such action would be prejudicial to British fishing industires who protested against it.

The Peace Conference now dealing with all matters of international importance affords an opportunity to establish an international agreement or an amplification of the present Convention for the Protection of Submarine Cables that trawling should be forbidden within certain prescribed zones occupied by submarine cables. We are sure that this could be done without prejudicing the fishing interests who have large bodies of water to operate in free from cables and we respectfully submit that this much needed means of protecting cable communication justifies such action.

For your information, fifteen submarine cables converge within nan area of about fifteen miles off the southern coast of Ireland where they are landed. The present landing places were selected many years ago before steam trawlers were thought of and cables could not be removed to any other landing place where they would be free from tehe effects of trawling. In May 1908, owing to damage inflicted by fishing trawlers, out of twelve Atlantic cables landing on the coasts of Ireland and England five were totally interrupted and a sixth was rendered 50% defective. Owing to the impossiblity of keeping cables in repair during the war, the Atlantic cable service between the United States and Europe is at the present time 43% deficient and although every effort is being made to restore the broken cables the most optimistic do not expect to see this accomplished before next 3winter. If the trawler casualties should be resumed the total interruption of communication is by no means improbable. We had as many as four out of five transatlantic cables interrupted off the Irish Coast at one time by trawlers and it cost us within a period of two months (between April 10th, 1908, to June 3d, 1908) about $110,000.- to make repairs to the cables plus an estimated loss of about $70,000 in revenue, besides materially hampering the exchange of government and commercial correspondence between the United States and Europe. Since the war, when trawling has practically ceased in the cable zonezs we have suffered no damage whatever from this source, but the situation is again likely to become acute especially as we understand that the British Government itself is fostering the establishment of a large trawling fleet.I sincerely trust that you will agree the subject is one of so much importance that it might well be considered by the delegates at the Peace Conference, and that you will find it possible to submit this suggestion with your endorsement.Inasmuch as the Paris Conference has taken under consideration the question of certain cables, and we believe that subject is still undetermined to a certain exetent, it would seem to be eminently proper that this proposed provision as to trawlers should be passed upon also. If you care to cable to Paris in regard to the matter, we shall be pleased to transmit the cablegram without charge. This whole subject is one which affects the cable interests and the cable users very vitally all over the world, inasmuch as the trawlers are extending their operations in all seas and have caused continued and serious interuption to submarine cables.

I am, with respect,