The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-10-06
COL. LENOIR'S
 LETTER ABOUT
 ASIATIC RADIO
HEAD OF SIGNAL CORPS IN ALA SKA WRITES TO ASSOCIATION OF BEST MEANS OF RELIEVING THE ASIATIC CABLE CONGES. TION.

Secretary Munson letter detailing his plans for relief of Asiatic commun- ication
 The letter to the association fol- iows
 Gentlemen:-
 herewith reduce to writing my views as to the communication with Asia. as expressed to your committee at noon August 26.
 It is believed that the best routes and methods of communication will require the most time to put into af- feet, and the slowest methods will re- quire the least time. The best method which would require the longest time would be to lay cable from Seattle or its vicinity to Dutch harbor or vii cinity, about fifteen hundred miles, another cable from Dutch Harbor to the vicinity of Attu Island, about six hund, ed miles. another cable from the vicinity of Attu Island to Yoko- hama or Vladivostok, about seven- teen hundred miles. Geographical miles herein in all measurements.)
 The next best method would be to utilize the present cable from Seattle to Valdez, Alaska. about fourteen hundred miles, large radio stations established at Valdez and at or near the Attu Islands and a cable seven- teen hundred miles from there to Yokohama or Vladivostok. By in- serting raidio circuit fourteen hundred miles in the center of this route, it would be possible for oper- ators at Valdez and Attu Island to receive and send messages at the same time. and there would be no delay as there would be nowhere messages were received or sent by radio, because the sending by radio would interfere with the receiving by radio. It is true that the attempt has been made at certain places to receive and send by radio at the same time but that requires two an- tennae, seperated several miles apart.
 As to the publicity of this radio section, ordinary telegrams are of lit- tie use to anyone except to those to whom they are directed. Any tele- gram of general interest can easily be put into code so that even the telegraphers themselves will not know what they are transmitting.
 It is thot the construction of the 170O miles of cable would be the maximum delay in establishing this route as while that was being con- structed the towers could be con. structed and the radio apparatus in- stalled.
 The third route which is thot would be the least effective, could be put into operation at the earliest time, i. e., the present cable to Val deg, the present wire to Nulato, the present radio from Nulato to Nome and the present radio station at Nome to connect with the nearest Siberian station at Anadyr, Siberia. 500 miles.
 Up to the present time there has been no communication to Anadyr, but it has been reported that it can be easily heard at Nome. Inasmuch as there has never been any demand for this communication 1t has never been put into effect. It is very likely that Anadyr has connections down thru Siberia to Vladivostok; as to this l am not sure, but it could be ascertained in Washington, where data is kept on all radio stations. The connection between Anadyr and Vladivostok may be first class or 1t may be very limited or 1t may reach Vladivostok with few delays, again it may take many relays.
 It is noted that the level area in Valdez which includes the Valdez bay area and the terrain from the Valdez glacier is about six miles wide and about fifteen miles long, and in the direction of Japan the level area is about ten miles before reaching the mountains. It is thot there would be no difficulty in getting over the mountains at that point.
 Last year I had the cableship Burn side stop at Valdez and ascertain the possibilities of Valdez as a radio sta tion, and thus succeeding in listening to naval stations along the California and Alaska coasts, and also certain Japanese stations and stations in the northern part of Alaska. The plant on the Burnside is only three kilowatts, and while it could receive very well 1t could not send to those stations outside of Alaska.
 It is thot that powerful station at Valdez would have no difficulty in making itself heard as far at Attu island and also as far as Seattle. as the direction from Valdez to Seattle is up the valley of the Lowe river. giving ample opportunity for the ether wave to get over the mountains. Valdez has 8 harbor ten miles long.