The Washington times., 1922-03-19

In 1918 the amateurs Of the coun-
try awoke to the fact that there
were q lot Of them scattered all over
the country. The thing that woke
them up was the Federal radio law
of August Is, 1912. This law was
the first radio enactment of the
United States and 1t formulated
rules and regulations which were to
govern radio communication.
How Radio Clubs Formed.
Among other things which this
law provided was a call book. This
call book contained the names and
addresses and the call letters as
signed to all amateurs who had
passed the necessary tests to secure
transmitting licences. The book dis
closed that there were several hun
dreds Of these amateurs scattered
over the various states Of the Union.
1t was revelation to the amateurs.
When the discovery was made
that there were lots Of amateurs all
over the country It gave birth to
another idea. This was the Radio
Club. The natural tendency Of the
times was to gather together in little
groups In the various cities and
towns and exchange experiences. In
formation and knowledge. 1t was
about the only way practical knowl-
edge could be obtained for there
were no books that adequately han
died the subject.
The yadio club was the natural
birthplace of the idea of the relay.
1t probably developed in the miads
of several OF the clubs at about the
same time, but 1t was In the Radio
Club Of Hartford. Conn.,. that the
relay idea which finally became the
American Radio Relay League first
took practical form.
One young man had electrified the
meeting by stating that hs had es-
tablished communication with the
neighboring town of Windsor Locks.
and that he wished to direct the at
tention Of the other members to the
very significant fact that Windsor
Locks was half way to Springfield.
Mass, a total distance by airline
of twenty-five. miles.
II Hartford could reach Windsor
Locks. why could not Windsor Locks
reach Springfield. and II this could
be done, why would 1t not be pos
sible for an amateur in Hartford to
send a message by relay to Spring
field, Mass, and perhaps receive the
answer back inside Of an hour?
One felt thrill at these early
radio club meetings when he came
face to face with the fellow he
knew well in the air, but whom he
had never seen. One who has never
sat in his little back room late at
night and coaversed with another
fellow seated in his little back room
away over in a neighboring town ard
then finally come to grasp the hand
of this fellow. cannot imagine the
depth Of this thrill.
Birth Of Relay Idea.
have attended q great many Of
these radio club meetings. and can
say that I have never at.
tended q meeting Of any Of my en-.
cheering societies which can COM
pare In efficiency and interest with
them.
The idea fired the imagination of
every person in the room and in
spired the determination to 80 homo
and sit up the rest Of the night I'm
and perfecting the efficiency
Of his apparatus 90 that on the next
night he might be the first one to
start q message to Springfield and
receive an answer back within an
hour.
An Endless Chain Started.
It was logical to take the next
step and go beyond Springfield.
why stop at Springfield Why not
continue to Pittsfield, and II to Pitts
field, why not to Albany And
why might we not expect the Albany
fellows to work 1t out with the fell
lows Of Utica? And In turn the
Utica fellows work It out with SYRIA
cuse2 And to Buffalo. Why stop
at Buffalo, at Cleveland, or Toledo,
or even at Chicago itself7
And then the conception that has
turned topsy-turvy all ideas Of com.
rovna into tho r,ntnha NJ