Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-12-23
Plead for Navy Radio as Press Aid
BY LOWELL MELIETT...
United News stair Corre.p,nd.,,

gets tho news was told Wednesday ,f,ernonn
10 an Interested group OF men who helm make
''e News when telegraph editors news cdi,n-s
't , euitors. war editors and foreign
EDITORS OF n number of important ,mcr,c,n
newspapers talked 70 The Merchant Marine
committee OF the House
i"e! urged greater government radio faciu-
80 .n" are now 10 be had and cxpla ned
no" 'ight the neck OF the bottle sometimes
becomes when there is great volume Of far
cign news to be poured into the Ir,i,el c,.,.,
Specifically. they asked that the naval radio
stations be authorized to accept and scnd
press messages at all times when the nnva!
H''''ohs are not handling government bust
ness. This would be several hours in each
DAY NJ present. they said the private COM
mercial radio companies are not able To handle
All the press matter offered them.
rms arrangement. the editors declared IL
100 cumbersome TO be successful: sudden
emergencies swamp the cable and radio com
panics and permission to use the naval wire
less oitimes cannot be obtained untu IN.
emergency has passed
Radio People Object.
william Brown. assistant TO the presd.nt
OF the Radio Corporation OF America on
posed the resolution before the committee
~hi!e admitting that II would be -. long
time before private companies would have
sufficient facilities to take care OF all the
news requirements. He spokr of ulnns for
increasing facilities.
Some members of the committee C,baIrn,nn
Greene OF Massachusetts. and Representative
fdinchdS OF Pennsylvania. among them
voiced the fear that putting the use OF til.
hHFai radio service for press and CONNIE rcial
matter up 10 the discretion OF the Secretary
CT the Navy would result in the establish
mcnt of government monopoly of radio
business. They referred TO Secretary Daniels
aeowed view that the government should ha vc
such a monopoly ~ Is the case In a number
or foreign countries.
Admiral W. II. Billiard, director OF naval
communications. .old the committee tina. n.
the service of the newspapers when govern
mcnt messages are not moving.
Patriotic Effort.
The resolution, he said. would serve
great patriotic purpose by effcc;ing a better
world understanding Of the United States
Il think. he said. that the newspapers
and press associations moved by the high
est type OF patriotism in seeking this ar
arrangement have long advocated Il greater
transmission OF American news over the
world. The more know about what the
rest Of the world Is doing and the more they
know about us. the better will get along
together American news is not getting over
the world rs much it ought"
The admiral said the general efficiency Of
the government radio service would be in
creased by its full throughout the day
operators grow rusty through id!encss. The
cost Of the service would be reduced to the
government by the charges collected on news
messages.
Walter s. Rogers, American representative
in the International communications congress.
pointed out TO the committee that American
rcws agencies are the only ones in the world
rot subsidized by their government. The
greater the dis eminaiion OF news of this
country, he said. tho more rapidly would
American trade relations with foreign coun-
tries be csta biished.