Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-09
GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE
OF SAYV|LLE WIRELESS
Operation OF Plant Will BE Con-
tinued by United States
Naval Forces.
PUBLIC is NOT AFFECTED
Action Taken Under Executive Order
Issued by President Because OF
Alleged Violations of Neutrality by
COmpanN'S Operators.


mon to-day took over the Sayvilie
wireless station. the only remaining
privately operated means of direct
communication between the United
I States and Germany.
! Secretary Daniels announced that
! Captain Billiard, in charge Of the naval
radio. had gone TO take over the sta
! ton. and would continue its operation
with naval forces.
+ Secretary Daniels issued this state
nent:
1T is understood that the Sayvillc
Iadio station had made application to
the Secretary OF Commerce for a
license. The Secretary OF Commerce
declined to. grant the license, ana so
informed the Secretary OF the Navy.
who. after conference, directed Cap
tain Bullard, as the expert of the de-
partment 10 take over and operate the
station. Lieutenant George II. Clark
will be in control of the station. Cap
tain Bullard reached New York this
morning. and will confer with the
/ owners of the station in all that relates
to the details of the operation OF the
station Practically the same rules
and regulations as are now applicable
/ TO Tuckerton will be put in operation
at Sayvillc."
! There Will he no change, so far as the
public is concerned. Messages will he
accepted as heretofore The only diff
! ference will be that naval operators
/ instead of commercial employees will
( man the keys The charges, collected
! by the navy. will he paid to the own
! ing company.
ALLEGED VIOLATIONS
OF NEUTRALITY
To-day's action, which was taken
under an executive order issued by
/ President Wilson giving the navy au-
! thority 10 take over "one or more"
stations. was deemed necessary be-
cause OF alleged violations OF ne,-
trality by the company's operators 1t
has been charged that when the navy
ccnsors had left the wireless room for
a minute or two, unneutral messages
| had been sent, and that only by diff
iicult and trying supervision could neu-
| trality be strictly enforced.
The wireless station at Tuckerton.
II. j., was taken over last September
by the government Both stations now
are able TO communicate directly with
Germany, but there has been from the
start n restriction prohibiting the send
ing of cipher messages unless code
books were deposited with the naval
ccnsors. The same rules will be CON
tinued.
! Originally the object Of the censor
! ship was TO prevent communicat ton
| with belliserent ships at sea, because
| IL was held that such communication
! was violation of the principle of in
! tcrnational law which forbids the use
of neutral territory as Il base of mill
tary operations Since then, however
there have been practically no German
ships on the Atlantic. the censorship
/ has been continued, ii was said in
naval quarters. because of n couvic-
! ton that German submarines were able
! to receive wireless messages sent from
Sayville. High naval officers have told
Secretary Daniels that, while they have
no evidence that such communication
has been maintained, they could not
| know definitely whether the station
was in touch with German submarines
unless the navys own operators were
| in charge
! no OFFICIAL COMPLAINT
! HAS BEEN RECEIVED
state Department officials said no
complaint regarding the neutrality of
the SayviNe station had been received
I.
The State Department was consulted
only by Secretary Redfeld. they said.
lie asked advice rcEardinc the request
for license.
Secretary Redfeld, in letter 10
Secretary Lansing. recommending that
the government take over the Saw
Vile station, said Investigation had
shown that the new sending station
for which license was asked had been
erected since the beginning OF the war
with apparatus made in Germany: that
the company was entirely German
owned, working with stations in Ger
many under government control. and
that Professor j. Zenncck . caorai,l
Of marines OF the German navy, had
been assigned by the German govern
mcnt to conduct experiments there.
Secretary Redncld said he had dc
cided that to grant i license to such a
station would he an wancutral act He
pointed out that the Atlantic Communi.
cation Company, owners of the Say.
vile station. and or which Herman A
Metz is president and DR.. Karl G.
Frank. secretary and treasurer, Is
owned by the Teiefunkcn COMPANY al
Germany, which is itself owned by me
. Siemcns Ralsko Co, and the ALICE.
meinc Elcktrizitats Gcssclscbaft q,
Germany; and that practically all tn,
: stock. such as would permit Mr. Net
to be president OF the Atlantic com.
pany. was owned by German citizens.
IN COMMUNICATIONS
, WITH GERMAN STATION.
Secretary Redhclds letter also re.
Nehied that the Sayvil!c station is in
communication with stations in Ger.
~. If.h .,,
OF German military authorities or the
imperial German post Office, one having
y control of military features and IN.
other Of commercial business.
! ]: also pointed out that the Marcor
1 wireless Company is not operating IL,
transatlantic station in connection win
hiiiish stations, because they are con.
y tr"!l"d 10y the British government, an,
II was deemed unncutral TO ou.ra,.