New-York tribune., 1903-01-24
TO GIVE REDUCED RATES.
FIRST MOVE
Only One Eighth Of Energy at Sta
ton to Send President S Message.
JOHN M'CULLAGH.

Though subject to countless business and So
cial demands, Signor Marconi took the time yes
terday to talk for The Tribune about his recent
achievements at Gace Bay and Cape Cod. ana
to indicate some of the expectations which they
seemed to justify. The man who has Just set
the whole world agog about transoceanlc wire
less telegraphy is not more than twenty-seven
years old. and, though evidently in better neaIth
than when he visited this city last March, he
has the same boyish face and unostentatfous
manner which excited comment then. He salo'
in substance:
To send the message from President Rooseveit
to King Edward required only one-eighth ot
the energy which the Cape Cod station is caPd-
bic of developing. The distance was between
twentv-eisht hundred and three thousand miles
l had at my disposal about forty or forty-nVe
horsepower. The Glace BAY station mas raLneT
more power than the ore on Cape Co.. put
cannot give definite figures.
Just how far it would be possible to send mes
sages with the Cape Cod equipment caiinoe mo. oe
told. The ratio between the increase In olSlahce
and the needed increase of power mas not , peen
fully computed. At any rate, would not hke 10 10
make a statement. However, a plant is soon "
he erected in Italy, by King Victor Emmanuei,
which will have five hundred or SIX hunoreu
horsepower and with that it should be possible
In the immediate future 1 shall fit the station
at Poldhu for communication with CANADA ana
the United States. More powerful generators
are needed in Cornwall, but the changes to be
made on this side of the Atlantic VII! De ui-
fling l hope then-in three months, perhaps-to
begin a regular commercial service. me EN-
ciencv of nv apparatus is satisfactorily
demonstrated.
ALL RATES MAY BE REDUCED.
The first effort will be TO give the press and
private individuals reduced rates. What the
effect will be on the cable companies callhoe OF
say Possibly they may reduce their rates IN
consequence. So far as service on lahd is con-
cerned we will not undertake II 1nnedlately'
except in remote and sparsely settled localltles.
In time it may prove feasible to compete with
land wires l believe wireless telegraphy would
be cheaper, but we shall not try to prove II at
nresent The next development will be to con-
meet England with South Africa and some or
her other colonies. Transmission is equaIly
easy by land or by sea, but our pest oppoI-
tunity is afforded at sea
IF you were to try to send a message to
point on the globe directly opposite your sta
ton would you calculate the distance by TAX
ing the diameter of the earth or the senlf-cir-
cumference?" Signor Marconi was asked.
..The latter 1 believe that the waves follow
the surface of the earth Whether they go above
or below it would not be wise to say.
"Ntore mower is needed when send by day
than by night but here again l must hesitate
TO supply particulars. Still as between bright
sunshine and cloudy day there appears 10 De
little difference. In this respect and in every
other the working of the system is comparative
" uniform We do as well one day as an
other
DO the tests made III the last few weeks
throw any fresh light the certainty of Sc
crecy?'
The inventor replied;
A little You may remember the statement
that some messages which We're sent last sum
mer from Poldhd to me and other electricians
on hoard the Carlo Alberto, at sea, were picked
up by persons for whom they were not intended
That announcement was not MADE perhais'
until after a report of my work had been pub
lshed Still, the vital fact is that at that time
our apparatus not tuned for secrecy
You know that without that precautloh we oo
not expect privacy
Now with some OF the messages sent from
America in the last few weeks, l did resort 10
timing am waiting to hear whether those
Cana6ian messages were picked up by any
taan1ship or elsewhere | did not tune the IN
struments at Cape Cod. being in too much of a
hurry It is barely possible. therefore that
President RoSsevelts message may have been
overheard.
THE TUNING SYSTEM.
To provide against accidental interference.
when several messages are sent within the same
eeId wa can rely on the tuning system, each
receiver being adjusted to respond only TO waves
Of a prescribed frequency. and the various trans
mitters being adjusted TO develop dlIerent ire ire
quencies. on ocean steamships no tuning has
vet been attempted. But ii is feasible. If II Is
Considered desirable. When 1t comes TO mali
cious and wilful interference, OF course II is not
so easy to express an opinion
Regarding the magnetic detecter in which
now receive messages dn place of the discarded
cohererl, / cannot talk about points or direrence
between Il and the De Forest receiver, because
we have an infringement suit pending l may
saw though that there Is practically no limit
to its speed in receiving. II VIII take as rap
idly as the words can be sent In TINS respect
il may prove superior 10 the receivers VI TIC
cable companies
red on