The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-12-20
WILLIAM A. WILLIS
In the New York Herald.


Americas biggest war secret. the de
VelOpment and perfection Of the wire
less telephone. Is no longer a secret.
Eight years Of work by wizards Of sci
ence in the United States army. aided
by civilian workers In radio problems,
came 20 successful cOnsummatiOn last
February. Since that time American
aiplanes here and in Europe have
been equipped with apparatus which
has made vocal communication be-
tween them while flying. as well Us
communication with the earth. a sim
pie matter.
The secret has been well kep: sOr
many months. Outside Of members OF
the air service few have known H.
Those few have maintained absolute
silence. The war department has re-
garded the solution Of the problem Of
what now IS called voice command
/ flying" rs one Of the greatest and most
I important achievements II the age.
/ Its value in war was EO tremendous
that extraordinary precautions were
| taken 10 prevent the slightest inkiinS
| Of the development reached from leak
/ ing out.
Germans Had Only Hint.
/ German ayiatOrs knew that the
American flying men had some ad-
vanced method 0f communication but
did not know exactly what IL was.
The French and British flying forces
have dabbled with the wireless tele-
phone in connection with airplaneS for
some time. the British meeting with
some success. II remained. however,
for men Of the American air service
10 perfect the radi0phone. This they
have done
The writer is the first civilian out
side Of Newton ID. Baker. secretary Of Z
war: Mr. John ID. Ryan. director Of
aircraft production. and one or two
other highly placed government Off I
Gals 10 observe this latest Of great /.
American inventions tried out. Il was T.
IN receipt of word from NIineola that .
the hardest tests the new wireless
telephone had ever been put 10 had .
failed Ia impair its complete efficiency
that Mr.. Ryan in Washington made
pIblic the first news ever given out
OF the new discovery.
These tests were made at Hazel
hurst and Roosevelt fields. near Min
cola. under the personal direction of
Mai. Gen. William L. kenly. chief Of
the division Of military aerOnautics.
whO came over from Washington for
the specific purpose Of finding out if
there was any feat in aviation that
could break down the voice COM
mand" system communication.
When he quit after an afternoon Of
hair-ralSing stunts with every kind Of
aircraft from the slow training planes
to those swift eagles Of the air the
De Hayilands, he expressed himself
~ completely satisfied that the wire
less telephone as part Of airpIane
equipment has come TO stay and is in
shape TO meet almost any situation
short Of an actual smashup.
No Need for Further Secrecy.
The ending Of the war has made
further secrecy in connection with this
t--A-aL1AA- AHN-AtAD-A AAiAAENs-~-sAlAs Al .
the opinion Of Mr Ryan and General
kenly. There are certain secrets in
with the apparatus used
that naturally will not be- revealed.
But the principles involved were made :
clear without reserve by Col. Clarence
c. Culver Of the aviation corps. the ]
man who has ed the work Of perfect
Ins the wireless telephone and who is r
credited by scientists with the major :
part Of the credit for its success.
Those who have seen airplanes in q
battle formation many thousands Of I
-eet in the air have perhaps wondered e
lOw ar a given moment they have all L
urned or lOOped or dived as one ma e
-hine, maintaining the precision al a
most OF West Point cadets on dress q
ll.ade. The answer is that each man il
las q telephone receiver fastened in h
lis helmet through which lie has re-
-eiyed the order Of the squadron com a
~ nder as clearly and audibly as IL =
IL was an infantryman On the ground Z
'e NJ addressed by his company cap b