American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-01-03
WILLIAM A. WILLIS
In the New York Herald.

In the New York Herald.
Americas biggest wal secret. the de-
velopment and perfection of the WIRE
less telephone, is no longer a secret
Eight years of work by wizards OF sell
ence in the United States army AIDED
by civilian workers in radio prooieps'
came TO successful consummatlon last
February. Since that time American
airplanes here and in Europe nave
been equipped with apparatus whlcn
has made vocal communication De
tween them while flying, as well as
communication with the earth, a SIM
pie matter.
The secret has been well kept for
many months. outside of members OIL
the air service few have known IT,
Those few have maintained absolute
silence. The war department has re-
garGed the solution of the problem OF
what now is called "voice command
flying as one of the greatest and most
important achievements of the age
Its value in war was so tremendous
that extraordinary precautions were
taken to prevent the slightest mixing
of the development reached from leak
ing out.
Germans Had Only a Hint.
German aviators knew that the
American flying men had some adj
vanced method of communication but
did not know exactly what it was.
The French and British flying forces
have dnbbled with the wireless tele-
phone in connection with airplanes for
some time, the British meeting with
some success. 1t remained, however
for men of the American air service
to perfect the radiophone. This they
have done.
The writer is the first civilian out
side of Newton d. Baker, secretary OF
war; Mr.. John D. Ryan, director oil
aircraft production, and one or twt
other highly placed government OIL
Gals to observe this latest of great
American inventions tried out. 1t was
on receipt of word from MineoIa thai
the hardest tests the new wireless
telephone had ever been put to hat
failed to impair it's complete efiicienc!
that Mr.. Ryan in Washington made
public the first news even given on
: of the new discovery.
, These tests were made at Hazel
hurst and Roosevelt fields, near Mir
$ celia, under the personal direction o
T Mai. Gen. William l.. Kenly, chief 0
7 lie division of military %aeronautics
j who came over from Washington 70
: the specific purpose of finding out
i there a any feat in aviation tina
could break down the voice con
mand" system of communication
When he quit after an afternoon c
Embarrassing stunts with every kind G
aircraft from the slow training plane
to those swift eagles of the air til
De Havllands, he expressed himse
as completely satisfied that the wir
less telephone as part of airplan
equipment has come to stay and is
4 shape to meet almost any situatio
II short of an actual smashup.'
No Need for Further Secrecy.
I The ending Of the war has mad
further secrecy in connection with tn
amazing invention unnecessary,
IL the opinion of Mr.. Ryan and Genert
iii Kenly. There are certain secrets
connection with the apparatus ust
. that naturally will not be reveale
Bus the principles involved were mat
clear without reserve by Col. Claren'
ri G. Culver of the aviation corps, II
man who has led the work of perfeC
81 Ing the wireless telephone and who
credited by scientists with the maj
art of the credit for It's success.
Il Those who have seen airplanes
81 battle formation many thousands
feet in the air have perhaps wonder,
II how at a given moment they have
n turned or loOped or dlved Gs n m
chine, maintaining the precision
most of West Point cadets on DIRE
"A parade. The answer Is that each m
Il has a telephone receiver fastened
II his helmet through which he has
ceived the order of the squadron co
NO mander as clearly and audibly as
he was an infantryman on the grou
IL. being addressed by his company CT