New-York tribune., 1902-12-23

htted with wireless apparatus but Captain Clark
VINO mad charge Of the instruments on the tug,
was never able to get message from the shore
acknowledging the receipt OF his messages
VIEWS OF SIGNAL CORPS EXPERTS.
The views of the Signal Corps experts are en-
BODIED in the following statement of Lieutenant
colonel Samuel Reber. of General Miles's staff who
commanded the balloon squad in the mannuvres
last September, which was made TO the National
Geographic Society:
The experience OF the last two years" said
Colonel Reber, has clearly shown that the proper
sphere o. wireless telegraphy is communica ton
between the shore and ship. and between ships at
sea Neither the cable system nor the land lines
will be suppanted by wireless telegraphy No re-
suits overland have been obtained that at
present warrant its acceptance as a commercial
means Of transmission. While messages overland
have been successfully exchanged up distances
OF fifty and sixty miles when the atmospheric,
local and thermal conditions favorable, that
uninterrupted communication which is essential
10 commercial success has not yet been achieved
Wireless teegraphy is past the experimental stage
ana Is now in a period of development the same
the telephone
1t is interesting recall the experiences of the
naval experts who carried wireless communion
tons with a station erected at Annapolis for
time. Despite this short distance the naval peo-
pie were obliged to ask the Signal Corps, which
mas been working in the sphere of influence.
TO ring off. This furnishes a fair example OF
one variety Of difficulty the army and navy have
met IN their Investigations.
While there is net apprehension ex-
pressed IN army circles the menace to ma
uonal defence. which is contained in shore stations
OF wireless telegraphy, that in the navy, which
was exclusively told In Sundays Tribune. there is
strong sentiment in favor Of the proposed inter
national conference the subject. Out of an
exchange of views. such would naturally come
from this conference, army experts here agree,
many valuable principles would be formulated.
But on the subject of government control Of the
shore stations, such advocated By Admiral
Bradford, chief of the Bureau Of Equipment the
army authorities take an extremely conservative
stand.
Concerning Marconi's probable success in finally
getting message through. Colonel Reber wrote
before the task achieved: THE reliability of
this method OF communication and its probable
speed will have to be demonstrated before 1t be-
comes commercial possibility. As more ship and
shore stations for wireless work employed, the
question of supervision of the various wireless sta
tions. in order prevent interference, becomes of
paramount Importance all governments and the
commercial world. Unless strict government su-
pervision is established. competing companies may
OF war the system of communication with vessels
Of the navy and the shore may be greatly i'm
peded.''
The opinion freely expressed at the State.
War and Navy Building to-day that the success at
tanned by Marconi in sending messages across the
Atlantic would serve to hasten the meeting of the
international conference It pointed out that
France was the only great power which declined
to send delegates, and this was attributed to the
fact that 1t proposed to hold the conference
Berlin It is generally believed that, as it is
now proposed to hold the conference in some other
country, the French will reconsider their refusal
and send representatives.