Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-25
CONTROL OF
WIRELESS BY
U.S.PLANNED
Administration Asks LegisIa.
ton for Acquisition by
Navy Department of
All Radio Stations.

Washington, Nov. 24.-Permanent
government control of all radio
communication through acquisition
and operation by the Navy depart
ment of all shore wireless stations
in the United States used for COM
mercial purposes is planned by the
administration under a bill now be-
fore congress.
Representative Alexander, chair
man of the House Merchant Marine
committee, who introduced the
measure in the house, announced
today that hearings on the bill will
begin before his committee Deem
Der II and continue until all inter
ests have been given an opportunity
to be heard A similar bill, intro
duced in the senate by Chairman
Fletcher of the committee on COM
merce, has been approved by Presi-
dent Wilson.
Besides providing for the acqui-
sition and operation of the stations
by the navy, the bill directs that the
secretary of the navy shall, so far as
may be consistent with the trans
action of government business, open
radio stations to general public
business under regulations pre-
scribed by him and shall fix the
rates for such service. He also
shall establish special rates for the
handling of press dispatches by
trans-oceanic or other special sta
tons.
Monopoly Held Necessary.
Reasons why the government re-
CARDS it as necessary for the navy
to operate or control radio stations
in this country are given in a state
lrent prepared by officials of the
Navy department and made public
today by Representative Alexander.
The statement in part follows:
I'm general the bill provides for
the acquisition and operation by
the Navy department of all radio
stations on shore used for CONNER
cial purposes. Irrespective of the
general ownership, this principle is
clearly indicated as necessary in the
case of this particular public utility.
Since the early days of the use of
autobiography many companies
have tried to operate radio It; ions
as a commercial enterprise in the
United States generally, c. in GER
tain localities. Except in very spe-
cia, circumstances. these enterprises
have failed to make an adequate
return, and in most cases no profit
has been made except through the |
sale of stock. The reason for this
is that complete monopoly is nee
essary. A period of about Is years
has clearly demonstrated that the
United States government is the
only concern able to obtain and
maintain such monopoly.
Would License Stations.
This bill, however, is not to Gre
ate complete government monop-
oily. The scientist, manufacturer
and ship owner are especially provid-
ed for and no change is proposed in
their status under existing NV.
Stations may be licensed for special
communication and these are ex-
empted from government operation
This is not war measure. In
accordance with the act of 1912, all
radio stations in the United States
and possessions, which were not al |,
ready in the governments hands.
were taken over by the Navy de-
partment promptly in April, 1917,
as war measure, and are now being
operated by that department. Many
changes have occurred during the
war. Stations formerly operated
commercially have been found to
be unnecessary for either CONNER
cial or war purposes.
"The business of all companies
having been suspended and their
operators having made an instant.
show of patriotism by joining the
navy in the earliest days of the war,
it is believed most of the companies
owning radio stations would be
glad at this time to sell their sta
tons to the government at a fair
prie.., which is provided for in the
bill"