The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-15
NJ REYNOLDS TO HEAR
WIRELESS PROTESTS
Daniels Refers Question Of
Censorship Legality to At
tOrney General.

Protests and complaints against the
order limiting wireless activities. by COM
merclal companies there only TO such
business as Government censors will pass
nave resulted In a request from Secretary
Daniels OF the Navy that a representative
OF the Marconi Company lay his case be-
fore the Attorney General for examna-
ton.
Edward J. Naliy. vice president OF the
Marconi Company, received letter from
Mr.. Daniels yesterday saying that the
Government wished to take UP before Mr.
McReynolds the questions OF law relat-
Ing to the censorship OF wireless messages
John W. Griggs, counsel for the company
VIII leave for Washington shortly to
present the argument that the Govern
ment has no more right to censor wire
less than II has cable messages
Mr.. Nally said yesterday that his
company wants to respect the orders
or the Government. but that II was justi-
fed In protesting when such orders were,
as he believed. contrary TO the laws pro.
tecting such enterprises and the service
represented
Calls order Incomprehcp.ibIc.
A further protest 20 the order OF Sec
rotary Daniels came from Paul Schneltz-
Ter. representative for the Telefunken
company. whose station is at Sayytlle,
yesterday:
The order OF Secretary Daniels is
incomprehensible or !ts face. II saws
mo cipher or code messages are
permitted to be received from radio
ship or shore stations OF belrigerent
nations by any commercial radio sta
ton In the United States, except TO
United States officials"
Anybody pretending TO he familiar
with wireless telegraphy ought to
know that in case OF wireless mes
sages the operator catches sounds
representing letters Before these
sounds have been received ne cannot
possibly tell whether or not the mes
sage Is code or cipher words. But
under the order OF the Secretary OF
the Navy the operator by receiving
the sounds has made himself liable
for disobedience OF the order.
In other words. the Secretary's
order charges the receiving operator
with the commission OF crime
though he could not know that a code
or cipher message was coming
What the Secretary probably wanted
TO prohibit was the delivery OF code
or cipher messages after they had
been received at the station to the
parties for whom they were intended
But this the Secretary's order does not
prohibit
The second part OF the order Of the
Secretary prohibits tho sending OF
cipher or radio messages from any
United States station to a foreign sta
ton II destined 10 belligerent."
Such communication may ne
breach OF neutrality. but the United
States Government has no right gen
orally TO prohibit. the receiving and
delivery OF code messages to resi-
dents within a neutral country on the
assumption that they might use such
messages In breach OF neutrality. II
the addreseee commits breach OF
neutrality let him Do punished. But
Il 10 insquttaole TO prohibit the de-
livery OF oode and cipher messages
in this country and thereby to destroy
the business OF the wireless COM
panies simply because some persons
might mako improper use Of such
messages.
sayvilI> Fears Spies.
Two strange men In civilian clothes
appeared at tho entrance 20 the German
wireless station at Sayv1lle. l.. l.. last
evening saying th"y represented the
United States navy and wanted to visit
the station. They were unable to show
credentials and were turned away by
the guard, who feared they might be
British spies.
The Sayyille station was busy yesterday
sending private messages. but received
no word OF the war. II heard distinctly
several British cruisers talking In code
many miles of. No Germans were heard
From the TNickerton wireless plant.
which is Goldschmidt enterprise, there
came the word that practically no war
news was obta!nable in Berlin. Several
private messages came through from tho
German station. but nothing that had
bearing on the war.
There was no confirmation yesterday of
the report that the Hermann RaSch, an
American ship, would be penalized by the
Government for sending a code message
ashore 10 the Sayv!lle station after being
told, Il 4 said. by the u. s. s. Florida to
refrain from so doing. The Sayville
people said last night that they had got
a code message to the owners OF the ship
and delivered II, believing that such ao-
ton was legitimate.
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