The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-23

NFW Grk, Nov. II The national
preparedness work being done by the
Radio League of America, of which
Captain ". II. @. Bullard. Gnilea
states Navy, head of the United States
Naval Radio Service. Professor Regi-
maid a. Fessendcn, DR.. Lee dc Forest.
and Nikola Tesla, are honorary mem
bare is explained and told in detail
in the December issue OF The Elec-
trical Experimenter.
In addition TO showing that the Eu-
ropean war has walked this country
to the necessity of preparedness, it
gives a viy!i account of the possible
working of the Radio League through
Its many members, scattered ali over
the United States. After agreeing
that proha bly, the vast mai rity of the
citizens iHaurse President Wilson's de-
tensive taI tary program The Expert
menter 50 vs.
but thee exists toda form.ra-
BILE defense weapon. which, up to now,
has not been exploited BY Uncle sam.
We Iefe 1, Che thousands Of amateur
radio stations scattered broadcast
through tine etjit leHgy IN aHj broadth
IF this fair land There is hardy
hamlet which does not boasl Of sew
+ erai amateur wireless s. atoms. and
their number Is Increasing by hun-
dredS every ay.
as Sib T. oi1ttHD " dF MS So tflpl
oughiy demonstrat ed, Qalck transmits
sion or intelligence is of paramount
Importance Telegraph and telephone
lines are pat out of order with ridlcu-
lousy small effect by the enemy, and
whole sections of country are thereby
isolated. Such sections are then help
less and no important messages can
safely be transmitted in any direction.
All this helps the enemy enormou siy,
40 &c thnS NJ n
mercy. If France and Belgium had
possessed an effective amateur wire
less scout service, there might pos
I Slbly be a different story 20 tell to-
day. In these days o. fast military
movements quick reporting of war IN
teiligence Is of incalcuable importance,
and ii this is true in Tarope, 1t Is
even truer in the United States. the
country of such vast and undefended
eoass lines
Vivid Pictures of Possibilities.
"One needs not to be a dreamer TO
appreciate how easily hostile fleet
/ could approach our long. badly pa
trolled coasts and try a landing of
an armed force. There might not be
! a telegraph or telephone line around
/ for miles. or If 1t lid exist. II is GER
tain that spies operating on land
would have found little trouble In put
+ ting it out OF commission beforehand.
But there will be long radio
| amateur on the alert. who has seen
/ the approaching fleet, and within
! thirty seconds Washington will re-
ceive the priceless intelligence. Vice
/ versa there mig 4tt-he handful OF
! poorly equipped United States militia
/ holding the enemy at bay temporarily.
! It is conceivable that this small BODY
Of men might have neither sending
! nor receiving apparatus Somewhere
! back OF the hills the United States reg
ulars are coming to the rescue OF the
sorely- pressed militiamen. They want
F! the latter to hold ont for a few short
| hours, and want to tell them of their
coming The radio message contain
ing this intelligence is flashed ov"e
the hills, but * not received by the
| exhausted men.
However, just as all hope il given
up a lad Of seventeen years. with
| streaming hair, runs up TO the major
of the small band and breathiessly
conveys the cheering news TO him. lie
| caught the message over his pitiful
thirty-foot aerial on top OF the barn,
but II saved the day. He did not even
have sending station His OUTFIT
comprised only cheap, homemade
receiving set, But it did the work just
I the-sasne@ Zach occasions are almost
certain to arise in the future and II
| Ia thus of the utmost importance that
every patriotic amateur should Of
| fer his station to the country.
The Purposes of the League.
1T was for the purpose or enrolilng
the more than 100000 amateurs for
Radio League IF America was formed
/ last October II was Incorporated III
this CITY and its object, as set foTt
in the charter, are, TO promote the
art of amateur wireless teiegranp9
and telephony in the United States
among the members of the said cor
poration; to have available for the
Government of the United states or
any of it's officials. q complete list Of
MI the amateur radio stations in the
country pledged to the service OF the
Government for Use in times OF ma
ttonal danger or need; TO establish
a uniformity in the transmission oil
wireless messages by amateurs; 10
uphold the provisions OF the law
known as the Wireless Act of 1912
and all subsequent laws pertaining to
wireless teiegraphy to assist the Gov
eminent OF the United States. or any
Of it's officials, ii experimenting of
tenders thereto. 70 prevent the send
ing OF misleading wireless MESA gcsi
10 give Information to the members Of
said corporation concerning new and
useful devices in the operation %
wireless telegraphy and telephony, and
to provide an organization for the
Interchange % IDEAS for the benefit
Of the members and the public al
large.
There are 20 dues and the eur-
pose OF the urgar lzation Is solely ma
tional defense and scientific devei-
opment.
Tn addition to- pledeing himself tc