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Show CARLTON HEADS : CABLESYSTEMS Placed in Charge of Marine Wires by Postmaster General. Mackay, Ward and Cook Excluded From Any Part of Control. SEW YORK, Dec. 13. Nrwcomb Carl-lijii, Carl-lijii, president of the Western Union Telegraph &. Cable company, has been placed in chars e of all marine cable sys-toniB sys-toniB of the United States by Postmaster Postmas-ter General Hurleson, it was announced at Mr, Carlton'H offices hero today. 1 1 o has accepted the appointment, which was (inclined by George G, Ward, vice president presi-dent of the Commercial Cable company. Mr. Burleson's order appointing Mr. Carlton directs the exclusion of Clarence 11. Mackay, president of the Commercial Cable company; of Mr. "Ward, and William Wil-liam W. Cook, "from any connection with the supervision, possession, control or operation of any and all marine cable bystems or any part thereof," whose pos-bfK.-jlon and operation was taken over by profluinatlon oi President Wilson .November .No-vember '2. The Commercial Cahlc company this afternoon acceded to Mr. Carlton's re-iUi:f't, re-iUi:f't, "under protest,' by appointing Gforyo clapperton, vice president and iraliic manager, to supcrvi.se the admin -iMrulion of the Commercial stations under un-der iho new arrangement. Ward's Refusal. The refusal recently of Vice President Ward, also general manager of the Commercial Com-mercial Cable company, to take over the Joint management of this systems, was based on the utliludo of his company toward the proposed consolidation under government contract. This is now being be-ing fought by tnc Commercial Cable company in the courts. The letter sent by Air. Carlton to Mr. Ward transmitted id him the postmaster general's order of appointment, and said: "Recalling our recent conversation, I may say that it would have been far more agreeable to me had you consented consent-ed to accept the postmaster general's designation as his representative to assume as-sume the management of both the Commercial Com-mercial Cable and Western Union systems. sys-tems. In that conversation I told you that the Western Union cable organisation organisa-tion would bo happy to follow your direction di-rection and to co-operate to the fullest extent in whatever instruction you saw fit to rIvo for the purpose of unifying the operation of tho two systems and thereby augmenting the efficiency of the cables. "J n my opinion, the co-ordination of Iho two systems will result in an Increased In-creased service to the government, the public and the press, which is so sorely needed at this time, and I am writing in the hope that to this end the Commercial Commer-cial Cablo company will support me by designating one of its officials to whom 1 may delegate the immediate supervision supervi-sion of your stations and who will work in close co-operation in carrying out the instructions that may bo issued by me. You wlU, I am sure, understand my reluctance re-luctance to take over tho details of operating op-erating a system which may again become be-come competitive. Co-operation Urged. "Regardless of such contention as may have arisen between your company and tho postmaster general, it seems to me that you can, without in any way prejudicing preju-dicing the position of your corporation, bear a hand in improving the cable service ser-vice of today by co-operating In the selection se-lection of the most suitable official of your organization for the post mentioned and in otherwise assuring the hearty cooperation co-operation of all officials and employees of the commercial system.-' In discussing his appointment this afternoon. aft-ernoon. Mr. Carlton stated emphatically that he did not favor government ownership own-ership of the cable systems, which, he said, would give the best sorviee under . the stimulus of private ownership. He expressed the firm belief, however, that :uiisolidat!on and expansion would result j In an adequate all-American cable sys- ! tern which would facilitate the efforts of I American business firms to meet foreign ! competition in export trade. I Vixplaining the Commercial Cable com- I pany's attitude, Mr. Ward tonight issued 1 'hf following statement: i "Tho Commercial Cablo company, of 1 course, objects to the whole procedure of unifying the cable properties, which is being done for purposes that have no bearing whatever upon war necessities. My declination to accept the management' of the combined cable system was not only prompted by our own legal action, but I regarded it as most unreasonable to place in charge of these properties u manager who naturally had a most decided de-cided reason for advancing the inter-ir inter-ir his own corporation. Calls It Unjust. "It is most unjust to the Commercial Onble company to appoint a competitive manager in charge of our properties. I am sure that such action will be severely condemned by the business interest of Mi.- country. "Mr. Carlton has asked us to designate desig-nate one of our officers as an operating official fnr the Commercial cables. I have addressed the following letter to him: " "In reply to your letter of today, 1 would say that undor protest (and that without waiving any legal rights qr oh-iections oh-iections thereto) I have turned over to George Clapperton the management of the cables of the Commercial company and other cable companies referred to." |