The New York herald., 1920-01-04
ARMY ON MEXICAN
BORDER GETS NEW
WIRELESS SYSTEM
Enlarged Radio Stations Pro-
vide Communication with
Points as Remote as Hawaii.
ESPECIAL DESPATCH TO THE HERALD. J

ESPECIAL DESPATCH TO THE HERALD
TL PASO, Texas, Saturday.-Newly
equipped and improved wireless stations
along the Mexican boundary. installed
within the last year, have provided the
United States Army with a complete new
radio system along the border.
The recent completion of q new wireless
station at Fort Bliss has given the FL
Paso post the best equipped and most
powerful radio plant on the entire Mexi-
can border and one OF the largest on the
continent, according to Information given
out by army signal officers.
Establishment of the big station here,
capable OF communicating with points as
nen,ote as the Hawaiian Islands, is in line
with the policy adopted by the War De-
partment at the close of the European
war to reconstruct and enlarge all wire
loss stations along the border
Enlarged stations have been installed
at Fort Sam Houston, Brownsville Fort
Ringold, Marfa Forts Huochuca and
Douglas, which makes a complete net
work of radio units along the border,
equipped with the most improved appa-
ratus
The stations at Fort Bliss and Fort Sam
Houston, headquarters of the Southern
Department. are the largest two on the
border. and all army communication
with other points along the line is han
died through these two units. The Fort
Bliss station now functions as a distribut-
ing point for orders and information sent
out from department headquarters for
stations in the FL Paso. New Mexico,
Arizona and Big Bend military districts.
Thousands OF messages are handled every
month.
The border wireless system is supple
n1ented by the line telegraph system, by
which practically all border posts are con-
uected. The radio is used in the trans
mission of confidential orders and infor-
nation. which are sent in code.
Experiments with field wireless and
wireless telephony have been in progress
At Fort Bliss for several months. A sat
isfactory degree Of success Is reported
Tests with airplanes on which wireless
telephone apparatus has been installed
have proved satisfactory, distinct voice
communication being maintained within a
radius of twenty-five miles. Communica
ton by field wireless outfits can be es-
tablished for much greater distances.
In case OF an invasion of Mexico, II is
said, field wireless outfits and aerial wire
less telephony would be relied on as a
means OF communication between forces
In the field and the big border stations
Before the new station was installed at
Fort Bliss 1t was not possible here to COM
rnunicate successfully more than six hun
dred or seven hundred miles by wireless
Communication with Fort Sam Houston
was the principal function of the station.
Now IL can operate easily within a radius
of twelve hundred TO fifteen hundred miles,
and during the winter when atmospheric,
conditions are less troublesome, three thou
sand miles is maximum range Of COM
nunication.
Points along the Atlantic coast, ships II,
The Gulf Of Mexico. parts of the Atlantic
ocean and Pacific Ocean as far west az
Honolulu, all stations in the United States.
and others as far south as the Panama
Canal Zone are within operating range
Of the, new Fort Bliss station
At military headquarters adjoining the
office of Major General Robert L. Howe,
commander of the Ell Paso military dis
trict, is a wireless room. five miles away
from tho wireless station at Fort Bliss.
with instruments connected by wire with
the radio station. From this roon1 by a
simple manipulation of levers. an operator
can receive or send over the big plant at
the post Under this Arrangement, in
case Of an emergency, all military move
ments in the district are directed by the
commander from his office at head
quarters without delay from the station
itself.