Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-16
DANIELSDISCUSSES AC1|ONOF
U.S.N HANDLING THE WIRELESS

| branch. On account OF their isolation
the stations in this division are also
the most difficult, though not the
most expensive to maintain. Regard
! ed merely as an aid TO the important
shipping in these waters. their value
is very great In addition they play
! an important part III the rap.uty
growing commercial business Of in
land Alaska The army cable is the
only wire connection between western
! Alaska and the United States. except
the very roundabout route through
the Canadian northwest This cable
Is laid in difficult bottom and Is ex
pensive to maintain. Its operation is
frequently interrupted, and at such
times the radio stations must be de-
pended upon to handle the traffic. The
performance OF the radio stations has
been very credit Ible in this work.
but il is. of course. out of the Ques-
ton for the present few and rather
low-powered stations to handle the
entire traffic carried by the cable in
the busy season. A medium high
powered station to replace the small
station at the Puget Sound navy yard
and an additional station of the same
to the present military system, and
such stations would practically solve
the question of uninterrupted COM
nercial communication with Alaska,
allowing the abandonment of the cable
with a great saving to the government
and a much cheaper service to the
public. With the building of the Alas
kan railway the need for additional
stations will become more urgent
"These are features of our radio in
stallations@of more or less general in
terest, bat the military feature is the
one with which the department is
more intimately concerned. In this
field there has been an enormOmus ad-
vance during the past year and much
Of this progress, perhaps the greater
part, is due to the original work OF
the department. Commercial progress
in the art has been notable. but it
must be remembered that the naval
problems in radio work have no par
allel in commercial work; that foreign
governments guard carefully their
own discoveries and Developments;
and that therefore the navy depart
ment Is dependent upon its own eN-
pert talent for military progress. Fora
this reason ii is very gratifying to be
able to state that we have kept
abreast of the times and have made
material progress, and that our equip
ment is such as will place us in a
position at least not inferior to the
corresponding service of any foreign
government, If we do not, in fact, sur
pass it. ,
Plans Have Been Delayed.
The erection Of the 'high-powered
stations authorized for San Diego, Ho-
aoluIu, Guam. Manila and Tutuila has -,
been delayed through inability to ac-
quire title to the private property Sc
lected as a site at San Diego. With |
the present statutory limit as to cost |
L is impossible to build fully adequate !
stations unless the cheapest sconstruc- |
ton is .resorted to. An absolutely nee
essary saving under the circumstances !,
was offered by letting single con- |
tract for the steel towers at San Dr. |
ego, Honolulu and Manila, but the de-
lay in connection with the transfer |
Of title at San Diego has delayed the |
whole chain. The title question has,
however, just recently been favorabIy |
settled, and proposals for the towers,
the largest single item of cost of each !
station, Wi be advertised this month. |
First Tests In March. ,,r:
;, The rapid completion. of the Pan
anna canal made 1t necessary to pru
,eed with the canal station -indepen- |
1entiy. Delay has BEEN encouraged |
here also, owing; to delinquency of |
contractors, but the stationsfis now
'apidly approaching completion, and |
Z is expected that the arst tests of
he Installation: will be held about |
March /. 1t is Interesting to note that
It the time the Panama canal station,
officially known as the Darien sta
ion, was contracted for,, the type of
equipment selected by the department
vas practically -dfscredited by a ma
GRITTY Of the most eminent ,technicaI
authorities throughout the world. 4
system Is Superior
The navy department, however, II
through its own Investigations and II
With the cooperation Of the progress
i've American manufacturers of the
apparatus, had come into possession
# certain data that left no doubt as
o the choice to be made. The not
bic scientific development. that has
AIKEN place during the last year has
onfirmed the departments action
'eyond peradventure. In this one con-
ract the direct saving to the govern
nent, due to Information resulting :
rom experimental work., was sufh-
;ient to cover the total ordinary ex-
lenses for experimental work during
period of five years N