Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-21
RADIO -REGrLArIoN~ AND HAWAII

&
Reports of congressional hearings are often dry
reading but not with that OF the session of the
house committee on merchant marine upon the
the Mutual Telephone Company's wireless branch
furnished the interest in the course of a remark
ably complete statement on behalf of commercial
wireless companies
The bill, as readers of the tar-Bulletin will re
call proposes such regulations as virtually would
put the Mutual Wireless out of business Man
ager Balch, explaining the viewpoint of island in
terests, gave clear and strong statement summar
izing the history of wireless development in Ha:
waiia topic Of absorbing and romantic interest
in itsclf--and then pointed ont the objections to
tho suggested legislation. Es
II having been urged that military defense might
make it advisable TO take over all wireless stations
and that this would cause great confusion. Mr..
Balch suggested that the government might well
require an operators TO be citizens and also that
in ease OF war they should be automatically drawn
into the service of the United States He also in
formed the committee that all the operators now
in the employ Of his conpanS.are citizens
4 good deal was said abont danger to military
defense through improper use of the wireless, and
in this connection Mr.. Balch made the following
statement,
II believe that company. an. American COM .
pany-all the stockholders are Amercans-is just as
patriotic anybody. During the present war, and
under naval censorship. the government instead OF
sending censor to each one Of our stations has CON
fined itself to censoring our messages in Honolulu
every three four days Even at the time the Ger
man ships the Japanese ships and the British ships
were all lowering around Hawaii the censorship Of
our entire system was left IN my hands; in other
words American citizeps had to obey the
apresldents order. And II was obeYed. There has
not been one during the present war where our
operators have violated the neutrality as laid down
In the presidents instructions We are American
citizens ana would not wilfulIy break the neutrality
OF the government In any way shape or form
The system of censoring messages ut the present
time Is absolutely leftsto the honesty OF the company
which Is operating and In our case, have abso-
lutey lived up to It with honest and Q conscien-
toas endeayor TO protect the neutrality Of our !
country
He also stated that the suggestion that govern
ment ownership Of radio companies might be a
development OF the future is holding hack the com
pany from spending from $4,000 to $4,000 for
improvements particularly in developing the radio
Telephone. In this connection he said that 'if the
government really believes that our system is ne
cessary for the preparedness Of the country feel
sure our board Of directors, being patriotic Amer;
lean citizens, will sell same if requested but not
|at junk value"
Several comments by members of the committee,
|of which Congressman Alexander is chairman,
seem to indicate that the committee does not favor
the bill Mr.. Halch's statement quite evidently
made strong impression.