▁connect ▁the ▁West ▁Ind ies ▁and ▁South ▁America , ▁among ▁them ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Ext ension ▁Austral asia ▁and ▁China ▁Te legraph ▁Company , ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁name ▁change ▁to ▁The ▁Eastern ▁and ▁Associ ated ▁Te legraph ▁Comp an ies ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 . ▁▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁ ▁Through out ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁all ▁cable ▁services ▁out ▁of ▁Britain ▁were ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁The ▁Eastern ▁Te legraph ▁group ▁prof ited ▁enorm ously ▁from ▁the ▁di version ▁of ▁business ▁to ▁India ▁and ▁East ▁Asia , ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁German - owned ▁over land ▁routes ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁general ▁use ▁of ▁tele gram s ▁in ▁preference ▁to ▁letters , ▁which ▁were ▁delayed ▁by ▁lack ▁of ▁civil ian ▁sh ipping . ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁c ables ▁became ▁targets ▁of ▁war fare ▁in ▁themselves . ▁Eastern ▁Te legraph , ▁the ▁British ▁Royal ▁Navy , ▁and ▁the ▁General ▁Post ▁Office ▁collabor ated ▁on ▁cutting ▁all ▁cable ▁links ▁between ▁Germany ▁and ▁North ▁America . ▁The ▁Germ ans ▁tempor arily ▁disabled ▁both ▁the ▁Pacific ▁C able ▁and ▁the ▁cable ▁across ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean , ▁by ▁attack ing ▁island ▁stations ▁in ▁each ▁ocean . ▁However , ▁the ▁most ▁spect ac ular ▁event ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁" c able ▁war " ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁when , ▁following ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁German ▁cable ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁cut ▁three ▁years ▁before ▁was ▁lifted ▁out ▁of ▁its ▁position