National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-21
EUROPEAN rELEGRApHY.
The Proposed Innovation Defended by
the Chief Signal Ohicer.

"Thc article in this mornings RErUnLICNN
on European Tclcgraphing," said Gen. Hazcn
yesterday, seems to havo been wilton
under n misapprehension OF what was rec.
commended by the officers of the army anl
navy designated to select simple and uniform
system Of signaling for use In the army anl
navy.
"1ho English or continental co lc was not
recommended by the board for use On the mill
tary telegraph lines, but, on the contrary, II
was recommended that the American Morse
code, the code now in use, be retained. II was
recommended that the English or continental
Morse code be adopted for visual signaling,
that is by flag, torch, &c. Tho board was az
first DESTROYS Of Recommending the adoption OF
the American Morse code for use In visual sig.
mailing in the army and navy, but after practi.
cal test on ranges varying from iow hundred
that the difficulties arising from the spaced
letters would render the code very uncertain
and dangerous one in the hands Of persons who
were not expert signalists, and that often the
most expert operators were liable to make err
rOrs In reading the spaced letters and others
composed entirely OF dots, when such letters
were not skillinlly represented by tho motions
OF the sending ilagnlan.
'"The leading reasons for recommending the
adoption of the English or continental Morse
code for visual signaling in the army aud navy
in place Of the Myer or government signal
code are rs follows.
81. It is simpler than the government signal
COue now. III use, DclllB II COuD Oh Dut TWO olos
mcnts, and is much better arranged TO suit the
relative frequency of the letters In the alpha
bet than the government signal code, and also
requires fewer signals TO represent all of the
letters of the alphabet Mt once. IL therefore
permits slightly higher rate Of speed In sig
code.
90. No person in the military service will be
required 10 learn more than one code the
English Morse). except the officers and men of
the signal corps OF the army;
'3. The code recommended IL used In Eng.
land and all European countries aud ar.nies,
both in visual signaling aud on the military
and commercial electric telegraphs, and Is
believed to be used, to some extent, In the
Geographic services of Canada aud the prov
lnces, as well us in the countries of Central aud
South America, and is beginning to be used
somewhat in the United states. II Is also used
on all the commercial cables in the world. II
would, therefore, be possible In time Of war to
secure at once u number Of persons who al.
ready know the code, and with very little
trimming could be employed In the signal SER
vice OF our military forces.
~ Fifteen letters of the English Morse code
arc exactly like the same letters In the Ameri.
car! Morse code, thus making u very simple
and easy matter for any American Morse opcr-
ator to learn the English Morse, either for use
in visual or electric signals,
80 II Is tpresontvery confusing and dilhcult,
and much time is required for the men OF the
signal corps of the nrmy to have to learn two
or more codes so unlike In principle and com.
1.-THE substitution of the English Morse In
place of the present government signal code, and
The prohibition of theuso OF other codes VIII do
| away with these difficulties almost entirely, MS
the two codes which the signal corps would be
| required to learn and use, IL the recommends
| lions Of the board he adopted, are based on
the same principles, and fifteen letters are eN'
| actly the same In each.
| "For those not fully acquainted with codes, ]
| may state they have norelation to ciphers used
| for transmitting private messages"
The following letter has been received BY
Commander cambridge Hoff, chief signal oil
OF the Mackay. Bennctt Gable Company:
"DEAR Sir; have the honor to acknowledge
| the receipt Of your communication OF the 9th
instant, asking for certain information regard
ing the American and English telegraph sys
| TENS OF signaling, with which / am pleased u
furnish you. | will reply to your questions In
the order YOU have put them.
81. The English or 'contincntap code Is used
exclusively on submarine cables. It would be
impracticablo to operate them By the American
| code, because of the spaced letters and long
dash for the letter II
40. Our rule Is that all operators entering the
service must learn the English code, and We
require all our men to operate both system'
10. am OF opinion that the English code Il
decidedly the better for all.round work. by
adopting the English code, presume yor
would necessarily lose the services of mum
Der Of men in the event OF war, buta grea
many of the more intelligent American teleg
raphers are conversant with the English code
and our experience is that good operators read
| lily make themselves competent In the English
code, and vice versa, In from two to three
weeks. The Amerlcal alphabet Is little thu
faster of the two, but the English can be oper
ated as fast as II is possible for a man TO write
and our experience shows that fewer error
! trust this information may be Of service /
YOU"