The labor standard., 1919-03-01
RADIO SIGNALS
 SENT UNDERSEA
Device Made Communication Through Water and Beneath
 Ground Possible.
SECRET HUNS DIDN'T KNOW
Maryland Scientist Is Persuaded After Much Pressure to Accept Remun- eration for Time Spent Work
 ing on Invention.

WaShington.-How underground and through-water wireless was put into practical use during the war was dis closed by navy department officials, giving to the public another of its SC crets, carefully guarded so long as it might be of value to the enemy. Gov ernment officials regard this develop ment, originated in private research by James H. Rogers, scientist of Fly attsvi1e, Md, as one of the wars ma jor scientific advances of the kind.
 In practical use the new system so far is employed only for receiving. Radio messages sent out from power full stations in Europe are now being read at underground receiving sta- tions in the United States and in some cases, better than when caught tions.
 Got Signals Under Waves.
 In addition, it was revealed at the department, through an adaptation of the Rogers theory, submarines un- der water are intercepting radio sig nals sent from shore and with crude apparatus. The scientist has succeed ed in transmitting signals two miles from a submerged wire stimulating a submersible Ofhcials say it is pos sibIe, though not yet an accomplished fact, that ground or water sending can be developed to considerable extent. They do not anticipate, however, that the present method of sending from high towers will be superseded except f,y. 1funStod al r7Tyrr1f,sS<a<;.sss5 F
 The theory most generally held un- til Rogers demonstrated the correct ness of his views, was that impulses hurled into the air from 8 radio trans. hitting station and defiected earth ward became dissipated. as does light ming, when they struck the ground or water.
 The Maryland scientist, however, be- Heved that the impulses flowed through the earth as through the air and that it was only necessary to trap and measure them in the ground. He had been at work on this theory before the United States entered the war and al- ready had interested naval experts. He offered the results of his work to the navy withouts re6tri ictlon. md When they were accepted after some dem- onstrations at HyattsviIIe, officials say, he was with difficulty persuaded to ac- cept even remuneration for actual time given to cooperation with the govern ment.
 the request of the navy department, under war legislation, that his appli- cation for patents be expedited. This was done.
 Main Advantages.
 Some of the main advantages of the Rogers system as developed so far, according to experts, are almost neglf- gible cost of construction, the intenss flying of signals by pointing the send ing apparatus toward the receiving sta tion and reduction of static interfer- ence. Because of the latter advan- tage, the navy's receiving station at New Orleans, where communication with ships in Southern waters swept by frequent electrical storms is main tained, uses the underground appa- ratus with marked success.
 In war a great advantage is that submarines receive messages while submerged. This is being done by wires trailing in the water.
 The Rogers development aroused electrical experts of the government to new efforts to expand and improve radio transmission facilities. Out of the experimental work done with this and other ideas steady advance has been made under war pressure and Rogers theories are interwoven with those of other men in the results that