Evening star., 1921-07-17
RADIO DEVELOPMENT
AND ITS REGULATION
Federal Control and Supervision Of Wire
less Communication Companies Declared
Necessary to Protect the Public.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
~ WITH radio admittedly the
NJ most progressive method OF
wv communication, imperative
in war and essential to mod
ern commerce in times Of peace. the feo-
eral government is studying the problem
Of how radio communication may best
hc developed while the interests OF the
people are properly safeguarded.
Tho Navy Department. which Is the
only agency Of the government actually
operating a radio service. says that the
effective direction Of the United States
fleet Is dependent upon radio commune
cation. The War Department. which
in the process of building up the air
service is developing great system OF
airways gridironing the entire United
States, says that radio communtca-
tion Is the very Hfeblood OF aviation.
The airways are designed to be the
most important commercial carriers Of
the future.
The problem with which the govern
ment is now wrestling, and In which
private enterprise Is virtually interested.
is this: By its very nature radio COM
munication can be most efficiently de-
yeIoped and operated as monopoly.
Tho administration. Congress, cabi-
net members and practically all Of those
who are best informed regarding the
radio situation are unanimous In the
opinion that development of radio COM
munication can best be carried along
by private enterprise. They are equally
a. positive in saying that there must be
careful federal control and supervision.
to see that the interests Of all the people
ara protected as against a monopoly.
Proposals fon Supervision.
Several definite proposals for defining
governmental supervision are before the
1oint congressional committee on reor-
snnization Of the administrative branch
Of the government. of which personal
representative Of President Harding Is
chairman. Ono Of these Is for dis
tfnct department Of communication and
transportation which would give in
tensive and specialized study to all re-
hted questions concerning common
carriers-the airways. railways, water
ways and highways. Each OF these has
its own problems, but there are con-
facts and constant problems between all
of them.
Because communication systems are
essential to the operation OF each OF
these common carrier systems OF trans
portation, the same administrative au-
thority should, II is argued. have gen.,
eral supervision over radio. cable. tele-
graph and telephone communication.
Another proposition before the. reor-
xanization committee Is to bring the IN
terstate Commerce Commission and the
shipping Board under one judicial con-
troll. 40 broadened as to provide similar
agencies to consider the particular con-
troyersies and necessary regulatory
measures that will arise regarding AVA
ton, radio communication. etc.
There are several bills already await
ing hearings and consideration before
both House and Senate committees with
regard to radio communication-but the
authors Of these bills admit that they
are offered merely as working basis
and that the entire subject must be
carefully considered at public hearings
and In conference with experts. One OF
these bills was introduced by Senator
Kellogg at the request of Secretary
Hoover.
II is the firm conviction Of those who
are in charge Of legislation with respect
to radio development that private enter
prtse must be allowed just as much
freedom as possible in building up
communication system that Will pro-
mote commerce. This means that radio
communication between the United
States and foreign countries, or shore
to-shore' messages, must be done by
private commercial concerns.
Navy Department System.
The only exception to this is that the
Navy Department, which now has $50
stations, having recently abandoned
twenty, not including radio compass sta
tions. Of which there are seventy. should
continue to operate the radio communi-
cation with the outlying dependencies.
The argument is that these stations are
there, they must be maintained for op-
Grafton Of the fleet. Being there. they
should be used for the advantage of the
American citizens in these outlying pos
sessions and dependencies. According
to existing conditions. this would not
bring the government Into competition
with private concerns.
The DEVELOPMENT Of commercial sta
tions along the shore line and Of COM
noercial stations throughout the interior
of the country should be distinct phases,
or independent monopolies, under the
general radio development. those who
have studied the problem closest say.
They point out that entirely different
conditions and problems have to be
met in the handling Of messages over
seas and in inland service such as Will
he required for the operation Of sig
ma, system for the proposed airways.
Development Of Radio.
The radio business began about 1900.
Then each government department
started in to build up system OF its
own, and private companies did the
same. The Marconi company was not
going to allow its stations to commups I,
cate with any other station that did
not use the same kind Of apparatus. so
this would have meant that ships could
not communicate. In fact. q complete
radio monopoly was contemplated. Then
President Roosevelt foresaw trouble and
ho n q