South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-25
RADIO OPERATORS
TRAIN At HARVARD
University City Has Changed.
5000 Study Wireless.
Students on Gold Coast.

CAMBRIDGE. Mass. April u.s.
Uncle sam is sending out every
eek from so 70 100 wireless oper-
ators from the big Harvard plant
ere which was transferred TO the
government "A ear = as a radio
finishing school 10 IS the only in
stitution OF the kind in the country.
and its classes have in the aggre.
eate 5000 ambitious youths.
From the Harvard grounds and
Harvard square the undergraduates
seem 20 have disappeared, most OF
them are ia service somewhere. The
many young men in uniform give
Cambridge much the appearance Of
3 great naval center. certainly, IL
u.s. not like the university city OF old.
sfost OF the Harvard halls and dor
mitories hat could be spared
were turned over to the radio stu
dents. whose area of habitation ex-
tends close 20 the famous gold
coast. filled now largely with Har-
Yard boys working their wa
through college.
Memorial hall. perhaps the most
famous OF all the Harvard build
llEe. anu wherein ktiltidLlDUE OF
undergraduates have dined. is the
main eating establishment for tho
radio army. Three times a Cay
1900 Of them marcn into Memorial
fall like a well drilled regiment of
b~Iuejackets and set up a clatter as
they eat that would do honor TO
any battalion Of academic students.
Visit Boston Payday.
But this old hall has it's quiet
period. for on payday, which comes
twice a month, only a handful 60
there TO dine. The radio boys walk
with the ghost" and go him one
better by taking an eight-minute
subway jump 10 Boston, where they
come up for air and a change of
scenery
The radio students notably are
orderly. They are scattered over a
wide area, many OF them lodging in
private homes without official re-
straint. yet police and military rec
ords reveal blank blotters so far
as they relate to radio students
This being a finishing school, only
those who are able TO copy 10
words a minute in the Continental
code. which is much slower n "a
the Morse. or regular telegraph
code. are admitted for the Is weeks
course. To be sent out for service
at sea they must be able to receive
% words a minute. the minimum
grading. There are NAM experts
among the teaching force whose
speed runs up 20 % words a minute.
hut beyond that a radio message
would be hard to get. From three
TO six operators are assigned 10 each
ship With the large number of yes
sells building for the merchant ma
rine and the navy. the radio school
is doing its best 10 turn out eX-
perienced operators as fast as JOS
sible.
Como From Many states.
The radio men have come here
from every state in the union. many
of them under draft age and gen
orally eager for active service. They
represent every element Of society.
OF two who were sitting on the steps
OF the Germanic museum the other
day. one had come from Louisiana.
and telling OF his work at home. he
mentioned. quite accidentally, that
ON Sundays he had sung in a
Methodist church choir.
And I come from the east side
OF New York city" his friend broke
in. and / had a regular job sing
ing in a cabaret at 125th st. But
we are buddies now" and ne picked
up a few bars OF a song which has
won much wartime popularity. we
hope 70 be assigned TO the same
ship" he added. so that when we
sink q Hun submarine We can send
out the news through the air in
different languages. And. believe
me. mine will be the sort for folks
to- remember"