The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-30
SEC. DANIELS WANTS TO HAVE RADIO MONOPOLY Seeks Government Control of All Messages By
 Wireless. WOULD KEEP RATES
 FROM HIGH LEVEL, Greatest Problem Connect ed With Trade Is Con-
 munication.

Washington, July 30. - With O view to the promotion of the interests of the Nation mIlitarily, diplomat ically and commercially, Secretary of the Navy Daniels has addressed q letter to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House urging that legislation be passed promptly giving the Government a monopoly of radio communications.
 The greatest problem connected with American trade ia cornmunica- tions." sad MT. Daniels in discussing his recommendations. We found this everywhere we went during our visit in Europe. Business men here tell us the same thing, and those return ing from abroad are strongly em- phasizinS the need of adequate com munications.
 There is some ground for fearing that private interests may join forces and put the cables and radio services in a single combination. Under such a situation it would be a simple mat. ter to boost rates to new high levels and compel patrons to pay them.
 My idea is to have radio rates so low after details of a round the world system have been worked out
  papers and all interests to patronlze the wireless for all purposes. The cables have long been crowded and cable rates are even now extremely high.
 Admiral Benson made a very close study of the radio during his long stay in France. Technical experts of the navy also studied the matter thorughly. It is necessary to control the radio in order to prevent interfer- ence. Radio messages fill the atmos- phere. Interference frequently has proved q serious problem from a naval or military standpoint.
 While do not say that a wireless monopoly should be created and cen tired fin the navy, logically that Is where it belongs, since we already have an extensive organization for communication across seas, from ship to ship and shore to ship and ship to shore. We must always maintain this organization.
 Tt is not hard to see why there is no particular necessity for a monop- oly of telegraphs and cables, since each can be operated independent of the other. With the radio. however, while zones can be laid out within which messages may be sent with i'm punity, unless there is the closest su- pervision of high powered stations constant interference Is certain
 The Secretary said that financially, the undertaking would not entail a particularly heavy burden on the Treasury. He was not prepared to give the estimated figure, but said 1t would be relatively few millions of dollars. There were broad hints that O movement already is under way looking to a combination of telegraph, cable and radio companies to contr ol the communications of the world.
 This must be prevented" he said. NO one thing indicates more clearly the closeness of contact that is surely coming in the world than the fact that it is now quite within the prac- teal to erect a radio station so ef- fective that its signals can be inter cepted in every village of the world.
 From an American commercial point of view. 1t Is evident that the permanent extension of American foreign trade is largely conditional on cable and radio communication. Orders are placed and ship move ments directed largely by cable and radio. If other countries have better communications services with lower rates their nationals have a distinct trade advantage. Further, 1t has be- come clear that if the American read CTS is to have the news reports from all parts of the world, and if Amer. ican news-the publication of which has very definite commercial and po- litical advantag ges-is to be printed throughout the world. America must have a highly efficient contact with all parts of the world.
 "Before the war forty lines of Brit ish, French and German commercial news were published in South Amer lea to one line of American news"
 MT. Daniels would have direct com municatfon with every nation with which the American people trade. It frequently happens that American trade information passing through even & friendly country like Great Britain becomes known there before if reaches its destination