ate the wooden poles； and wild elephants that pulled up the iron poles。 There were monkeys that played tag on the lines； and savages that stole the wire for arrow… heads。 But the line was carried through； and to…day is alive with conversations concerning rubber and ivory。
So； we may almost say of the telephone that 〃there is no speech nor language where its voice is not heard。〃 There are even a thousand miles of its wire in Abyssinia and one hundred and fifty miles in the Fiji Islands。 Roughly speaking； there are now ten million telephones in all countries； employing two hundred and fifty thousand people； requiring twenty…one million miles of wire； representing a cost of fifteen hundred million dollars； and carrying fourteen thousand million conversations a year。 All this； and yet the men who heard the first feeble cry of the in… fant telephone are still alive； and not by any means old。
No foreign country has reached the high American level of telephony。 The United States has eight telephones per hundred of population； while no other country has one…half as many。 Canada stands second； with almost four per hundred； and Sweden is third。 Germany has as many telephones as the State of New York； and Great Britain as many as Ohio。 Chicago has more than London； and Boston twice as many as Paris。 In the whole of Europe； with her twenty nations； there are one… third as many telephones as in the United States。 In proportion to her population； Europe has only one…thirteenth as many。
The United States writes half as many letters as Europe； sends one…third as many telegrams； and talks twice as much at the telephone。 The average European family sends three telegrams a year； and three letters and one telephone message a week； while the average American family sends five telegrams a year； and seven letters and eleven telephone messages a week。 This one na… tion； which owns six per cent of the earth and is five per cent of the human race； has SEVENTY per cent of the telephones。 And fifty per cent； or one…half； of the telephony of the world； is now comprised in the Bell System of this country。
There are only six nations in Europe that make a fair showingthe Germans； British； Swedish； Danes； Norwegians； and Swiss。 The others have less than one telephone per hundred。 Little Denmark has more than Austria。 Little Finland has better service than France。 The Belgian telephones have cost the mosttwo hundred and seventy…three dollars apiece； and the Finnish telephones the leasteighty…one dollars。 But a telephone in Belgium earns three times as much as one in Norway。 In general； the lesson in Europe is this； that the telephone is what a nation makes it。 Its usefulness depends upon the sense and enterprise with which it is handled。 It may be either an invaluable asset or a nuisance。
Too much government！ That has been the basic reason for failure in most countries。 Before the telephone was invented； the telegraph had been made a State monopoly； and the tele… phone was regarded as a species of telegraph。 The public officials did not see that a telephone system is a highly complex and technical problem； much more like a piano factory or a steel… mill。 And so； wherever a group of citizens established a telephone service； the government officials looked upon it with jealous eyes； and usually snatched it away。 The telephone thus became a part of the telegraph； which is a part of the post office； which is a part of the government。 It is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction a mere twig of bureaucracy。 Under such conditions the telephone could not prosper。 The wonder is that it survived。
Handled on the American plan； the telephone abroad may be raised to American levels。 There is no racial reason for failure。 The slow service and the bungling are the natural results of treating the telephone as though it were a road or a fire department； and any nation that rises to a proper conception of the telephone； that dares to put it into competent hands and to strengthen it with enough capital； can secure as alert and brisk a service as heart can wish。 Some nations are already on the way。 China； Japan； and France have sent delegations to New York City 〃the Mecca of telephone men；〃 to learn the art of telephony in its highest development。 Even Russia has rescued the telephone from her bureaucrats and is now offering it freely to men of enterprise。
In most foreign countries telephone service is being steadily geared up to a faster pace。 The craze for 〃cheap and nasty〃 telephony is passing； and the idea that the telephone is above all else a SPEED instrument； is gaining ground。 A faster long…distance service； at double rates； is being well patronized。 Slow…moving races are learning the value of time； which is the first lesson in telephony。 Our reapers and mowers now go to seventy…five nations。 Our street cars run in all great cities。 Morocco is importing our dollar watches； Korea is learning the waste of allowing nine men to dig with one spade。 And all this means telephones。
In thirty years； the Western Electric has sold sixty…seven million dollars' worth of telephonic apparatus to foreign countries。 But this is no more than a fair beginning。 To put one telephone in China to every hundred people will mean an outlay of three hundred million dollars。 To give Europe as fit an equipment as the United States now has； will mean thirty million telephones； with proper wire and switchboards to match。 And while telephony for the masses is not yet a live question in many countries； sooner or later； in the relentless push of civilization； it must come。
Possibly； in that far future of peace and goodwill among nations； when each country does for all the others what it can do best； the United States may be generally recognized as the source of skill and authority on telephony。 It may be called in to rebuild or operate the telephone systems of other countries； in the same way that it is now supplying oil and steel rails and farm machinery。 Just as the wise buyer of to…day asks France for champagne； Germany for toys； England for cottons； and the Orient for rugs； so he will learn to look upon the United States as the natural home and headquarters of the telephone。
CHAPTER IX
THE FUTURE OF THE TELEPHONE
In the Spring of 1907 Theodore N。 Vail； a rugged； ruddy； white…haired man； was superintending the building of a big barn in northern Vermont。 His house stood near…by； on a balcony of rolling land that overlooked the town of Lyndon and far beyond； across evergreen forests to the massive bulk of Burke Mountain。 His farm； very nearly ten square miles in area； lay back of the house in a great oval of field and woodland； with several dozen cottages in the clearings。 His Welsh ponies and Swiss cattle were grazing on the May grass； and the men were busy with the ploughs and harrows and seeders。 It was almost thirty years since he had been called in to create the business structure of telephony； and to shape the general plan of its development。 Since then he had done many other things。 The one city of Buenos Ayres had paid him more； merely for giving it a system of trolleys and electric lights； than the United States had paid him for putting the telephone on a business basis。 He was now rich and retired； free to enjoy his play…work of the farm and to forget the troubles of the city and the telephone
But； as he stood among his barn…builders； there arrived from Boston and New York a delegation of telephone directors。 Most of them belonged to the 〃Old Guard〃 of telephony。 They had fought under Vail in the pioneer days； and now they had come to ask him to return to the telephone business； after twenty years of absence。 Vail laughed at the suggestion。
〃Nonsense；〃 he said； 〃I'm too old。 I'm sixty… two years of age。〃 The directors persisted。 They spoke of the approaching storm…cloud of panic and the need of another strong hand at the wheel until the crisis was over； but Vail still refused。 They spoke of old times and old memories； but he shook his head。 〃All my life；〃 he said； 〃I have wanted to be a farmer。〃
Then they drew a picture of the telephone situation。 They showed him that the 〃grand telephonic system〃 which he had planned was unfinished。 He was its architect； and it was undone。 The telephone business was energetic and prosperous。 Under the brilliant leadership of Frederick P。 Fish； it had grown by leaps and bounds。 But it was still far from being the SYSTEM that Vail had dreamed of in his younger days； and so； when the directors put before him his unfinished plan； he surrendered。 The instinct for completeness； which is one of the dominating characteristics of his mind； compelled him to consent。 It was the call of the telephone。
Since that May morning； 1907； great things have been done by the men of the telephone and telegraph world。 The Bell System was brought through the panic without a scratch。 When the doubt and confusion were at their worst； Vail wrote an open letter to his stock…holders； in his practical； farmer…like way。 He said：
〃Our net earnings for the last ten months were 13；715；000； as against 11；579；000 for the same period in 1906。 We have now in the banks over 18；000；000； and we will not need to borrow any money for two years。〃
Soon afterwards； the work of consolidation began。 Companies that overlapped were united。 Small local wire…clusters； several thousands of them； were linked to the national lines。 A policy of publicity superseded the secrecy which had naturally grown to be a habit in the days of patent litigation。 Visitors and reporters found an open door。 Educational advertisements were published in the most popular magazines。 The corps of inventors was spurred up to conquer the long…distance problems。 And in return for a thirty million check； the control of the historic Western Union was transferred from the children of Jay Gould to the thirty thousand stock…holders of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company。
From what has been done； therefore； we may venture a guess as to the future of the telephone。 This 〃grand telephonic system〃 which had no existence thirty years ago； except in the imagination of Vail； seems to be at hand。 The very newsboys in the streets are crying it。 And while there is； of course； no exact blueprint of