The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-25
eChcHe,nlds
Scientific
Notes
.,Hl4ah8
CONFERENCE NAY ALLoT
RADIO WAVES IN PACIFIC.
Friday. Ns~e.ser -. iszI.

Pacific. That phrase. the very last
on the agenda of Washington con-
ference. promises TO raise some OF
the most interesting questions OF
the conference. And Il Is probsbl.
that the much-talked-of Yap. with
its cable station. will not be tn.
principal issue.
While submarine cables hav, in
the past borne the burden OF trans
Pacific communication, radio will n.
the communication canal Of the fu-
ture. The farmer who receives
virelessed market and weather re-
ports. travellers on ships who ar.
kept in constant touch with t,r,
airplane pilots who talk together
and all OF us are vitality affected
in what is likely to happen in a
few weeks here. For. 50 far a.
radio is concerned. there is only on.
wire for every one TO use. and that
Is the ether.
Different frequencies or wav.
lengths Of ether vibrations provide
limited but multiple number OF
channels through this one great
wireless ether channel. Not incluo-
ing the wave lengths under 1000
4 Nn0EN
distance communication only. thor.
ere only about 800 wave lengths
that can be used for lonC-distan,s
and trans-oceanic communicate,
without interference The whole
world thus has only this number 81
radio channels, plus as many more
as can be obtained by utilizing the
directional properties OF radio and
employing the same wave ien-frs
simultaneously in different parts Of
the world. But across the Parint Is
seems that the radio lines will 81
ways be limited 20 somewhat d..
than 800.
Questions such as which countr-
shat use a particular wave leastt.
which wave lengths shall be l.s,.
between certain stations. which
shall be used for meteorolDzlg.t
work, radio beacons and or
service uses. which shall be usH
for military work. and how vuCc-
sired emissions can be suppressed
are matters that must sooner or
later be settled by international ac-
ton.
The international agreement now
in force was the result Of the Lon
don convention Of 1919. Since and
|
practice II radio telegraph has
progressed so fast and so far that
new rules and agreements are
needed. 4 preliminary communics-
tions conference Of the Eve princi-
pal powers met here in 1920. and
as result leading wireless ex-
perts Of the nations sat on the
inter-sllied technical committee
which met in Paris last summer
! These scientists and military ren-
resentstives did not actually a.
locate the priceless privilege oT
using certain wave lengths but
= they laid down the general prin-
= ciples that will he used in making
an equitable distribution OF thy
wireless waves.
Now here in Washington the eler-
trical communications committee II
the technical stan OF the conference
is meeting almost daily preparing
the data and arguments 70 be used
in presenting the American Views
r on trans-Pscihc communication
I, Headed by Mai Gen George q
Squier, chief signal officer Of the
army, the committee consists or.
: w. s. Rogers. specialist in com
I municstions. and Leland Harrison.
n councillor Of embassies. state De
= parment: Louis Cohen. consulting
engineer. War Department: cant
= Samuel W. Bryant. naval cornmur#-
:, cation service, and Louis W. Austin
: head. naval research laborstorv
8 Navy Department; Dr. s W STRAIT
y ton. director. and Or. 7 II DEL
s linEer. chief Of the radio section
! Bureau OF Standards NJ the Denart-
= ment OF Commerce. A. their head
= quarters the technical expert. -
= the other powers are also prepar-
q ing.
Is Out OF the conference NAV come
n some agreement that will distrihur.
n the wireless wave lengths for use In
e the regions OF the Pacific and the
o Far East.
The Paris Radio Conference held
= recently declared: The franchise 70
|, use one OF the longer RADIO waves
II is considered Al least az important
: a national asset as a cable" Briefly.
the technical principles adopted by
n that conference were: The lower freY
" auency waves or longer wave lengths
. should he used for the longer dis
tsnces:. and the higher Frequency
waves or shorter wave lengths for
; the shorter distances: stations sit
uated in the same general locality
= and working at similar distances
should in principle use adjacent fire.
. nuencies: each nation should use only
: the smallest possible number OF wave
" lengths necessary 70 carry on its
radio communication: and use should
be made OF the directionsl proper
= ties Of radio whereby the number OF
X communications carried on in a give n
I region may be increased BY employ
ing the same frequency a plurality
Of times.
II the people OF different races
and nations understand each Other
the chances OF war are lessened. EASY
and comparatively inexpensive com
: municatton is acknowledged to be
: one OF the most important factors
in keeping peoples in touch and
nations out OF war.
The Navy Department. under su-
thority from Congress and through
! the use Of its wireless stations IN
! the Pacific. is providing a low priced
channel for news reports back and
p forth across the Pacific. and ulanx
daily papers in and across the "a,
cine now get all their current for
8 etgn news by wireless. but this serv-
ice is not yet extended TO Jana n
p and Australia T le Pan-Pacifc Press
y Conference which met at Honolulu
Il on october 2l passed a resolution urc-
e ing that such service be expanded
: and extended 10 all parts OF the Ia
= cihc where practicable and that the