Evening star., 1918-07-17
PRESIDENT TOPUT
WIRE, CONTROL IN
EFFECT AT ONCE
Will Sign Order Today or To-
morrow and Name Mr..
BurIeson.
VOICE AND MORSE CODE
TO USE SAME WIRE
Simultaneous Method in Use in
Europe to Be Adopted
Here.

President Wilson is expected to sign
an executive order today or tomorrow
taking over all trunk line telegraph
and telephone lines for the period Of
the war, and delegating Postmaster
General Burleson to control them.
Though no formal announcement
of details will be made until the
Presidents order is issued, 1t was
learned today that immediate steps
are planned by which the telephone
and telegraph services will be CO.
ordinated.
Two of the outstanding measures
probably to be adopted as soon al
the mechanical arrangements are COM
pleted will be:
Use Of long g-distance telephone lines
for transmission of telegraph mes
sages. Telephone wires may be
utilized for telegraphic dispatches In
this manner while they are being
used for telephone conversations.
0IdlupS " = dy Ao2&os
Soon it is probable that one may
attach stamps to a telegraph message
and have it accepted for transmis-
sion, either at a telegraph office or at
q post office. 1t is estimated that q
saving of from 20 to rs per cent would
| be effected in the accounting Of tele-
| stamps instead OF employment Of the
| cash payment plan as at present.
| Washington has presented one OF
the chief centers Of dimculty In wire
communication. Hence 1t 10 consid.
control this city will be a unit, under
the Washington city postmaster. Mer-
| ritt o. Chance. representing the POST
Office Department, and stan OF ex-
perts who will be his advisers in
| working out more efficient telegraph
and telephone service. both for the
government and for the citizens of
the capital
Telegraph Congestion Leads.
Throughout the country. except for
Washington and several other cities.
| the chief congestion is considered to
proposal to utilize telephone wires
for the transmission OF telegraph
It also is proposed in cities like
many IN Ine IHiQul0 WCbls WAck0 lhCi0
are two telephone systems. to unite
them, which can be done quickly and
easily by switch connection. and
place all subscribers OF one service
In touch with those of the other.
| Though the system by which tele-
phone and telegraph messages are sent
| simultaneously has been in operation
in Europe for some time. 1t has not been
made generally available in this country
because the telegraph and telephone
hor control
But even here there are leased wires,
some of them owned by press associa-
| tons and some by meat packers. which
extend from New York to Chicago. upon
| which telegraph messages are clicked
constantly while persons are talking
over the same wires.
A telegraph line requires but one wire,
q telephone line requires two wires to
complete the circuit. Hence every tele-
phone line potentially affords two tele-
graph wires.
Vail Pointed to Duplication.
Theodore N. Vail. president Of the
American Telephone and Telegraph
Company, in his annual report OF 1910
and 1911, pointed out the duplication
of expense by separate telegraph and
telephone companies, and nkened tho
present division to a condition whore
| a man udu " Ch6aSS b"o SoAAAo6SS ~
When Alexander Graham Bell found
that wire could be utilized for long
distance conversation, European tele-
graph companies, some then under gov
ernment control. began experimenting
on their telegraph wires, and 1t was
found that the oral conversations did
not Interfere with code messages. In
/, this country the telegraph companies
declined to enter the new held, hence
| tha toIenhone comna MES with SeparatA
equipment, were organized.
Automatics to Extend.
It is likely that the automatic sys-
tenn will be introduced widely. though
It is not expected that manual sys-
TENS will be displaced generally or
! Immediately. But experts have held
that where there Is q second operator
| or more necessary to complete a call
the manual system is an economic
waste as compared with the auto.
matte.
Because Of the abnormal conditions
In Washington 1t was stated today by
those who have followed the preltm-
mary discussions about government
| ly to be the hrst place where the old
system will give way to the auto
matics.
L OAVlo j. xlSWl6s xVIkA0E x0P1C6oAbA-
tive from Maryland. and now on the
tariff board. Is slated for q promi-
nent position in connection with tho
government direction. It was decided
not to make the wire control sep
arate from the Post ONCE Department
and create an Independent director OF
wires. a. In the case Of the railroads,
because the post ONCE service dove
tails readily into wire communication.
It is understood. The use to which
postage stamps may be put as pay
ment for messages, and the use OF
post Offices and substations for re-
ceiving centers. are two ways In
which savings may be effected by
| this unification.
Country to Be zoned.
In the general organisation It II ex-
pected that the country win be sonsdv
as has been done In railroad control,
and that regional directors VIII be
S1ontinued on Eleventh PagAa !.