The Washington times., 1912-05-08
AMBULANCE CALL Of
SEA TO HAVE RIGHT
OF WAY IN FUTURE
Senate Passes Drastic Regu-
lation Covering Distress
Signals.

Growing out of the Titanic disaster
and the great confusion Of wireless
messages which that disaster brought
about. the Senate yesterday afternoon
passed a bill for drastic regulation OF
wireless communication.
1t was brought out in the Titanic
hearings that there was the utmost con-
fusion when the Titanic sought in the
hour of her distress to communicate
with other vessels and that when the
Carpathia was trying, as alleged, to get
information to shore later on there was
still more confusion.
With this situation in mind, the Sen-
ate proceeded to consider the bill by
Senator Bourne which was recently re-
ported unanimously by the Committee
on Commerce. The bill was passed by
the Senate late yesterday after some
discussion, by unanimous vote and with
little amendment. The bill Is a corol-
larry to the treaty which was ratified
two or three weeks ago by the Senate.
Explained By Bourne.
A concise statement of what the bill
does was made to the Senate by Sena-
tor Bourne. Referring to the licensing
Iof operators and other features. he said
1T specifies just exactly what private
interests can and what they can not
do. 1t fits the action Of the Committee
on Foreign Relations with relation to
the treaty and its ratification by the
Senate, and is corollary to a treaty that
was passed, and 1t Is necessary in
order to carry out the treaty.
Il will state the main features of the
BILL The first Is TO secure an ascertain
ment, so that everybody may be cogniz-
ant of the exact number of activities
that are in operation. That Is provided
Instruments. Second. a licensing Of in
diyidual operators. 1t is compulsory
Labor that upon application these IL
minimize the possibility of any inter-
ference under the present state of the
art of wireless telegraphy. This Is
mipimized by the rules and regulations
embodied in the bill itself.
Under the present development of
the science there are some wave lengths
up to $500 meters. These would be
equivalent to some thirty-four telephone
right to the exclusive use Of eight
of these telephone lines, in effect, which
would be the wave lengths from 600
meters to 1000 meters. Amateurs are
wave lengths, and the Secretary of
Commerce and Labor can, in his dis
cretion, issue special permits to use
other waves to amateurs or individuals
who, are studying along the line Of
wireless telegraphy.
Then a pure sound is provided in the
bill, which Is necessary in order to
minimize the possibility Of interference.
try are left the use Of twenty-six tele-
sis h1hs so. tSs % %FestFletion fs ef 9poh the
commercial interests is not an unneces-
a. tAt -
bill, the purpose being to prevent in
reference so far as 1t Is possible to do
SO In the present development Of the
art.
"Provision is made in the bill that as
the art develops and improvements are
made the Secretary of Commerce and
Labor may extend the scope Of the
activities Of commercial and private
interests, but he cannot limit them
other than the limitations as they exist
in the bill.
Then, a clause is contained in the
bill which provides for the public re:
States already has in existence through
the Navy and War Departments, a
chain Of stations from one coast around
to the other, with the exception OF two
gaps held by private interests. There
Is provision in the bill that in case
the commercial interests fail to give
ment may furnish the service during
such period Of failure. SO that the pub
lie at large can have continuous serv-
ice, making a charge for that of not
more, as I remember, than $160 for a
certain number Of words. I think that
Is provided for under the treaty.
Distress Calls First.
One of the regulations put into the
bills intended to meet such situations
as those found by the Carpathia, as
follows:
"All stations are required to give abso-
Lutte priority to signals and radiograms
relating to ships In distress; to cease
sending upon hearing a distress signal,
and, except when engaged in answering
or aiding the ship in distress to refrain
from sending until all signals and RADIO
grams relating thereto are completed"
. The international signal of distress,
the s. o. s., is written Into the measure:
The Berlin convention, to which the
United States will soon oe n party.
prescribes the use OF continental Morse
as distinguished from American Morse.
The House has adopted an amend
ment to the legislative bill increasing
from 81 900 to $4,000 the amount to be
expended by the Secretary Of Com
merce and Labor in enforcing the act
Of Congress recurring wireless on GER