The Washington times., 1922-03-19
By HIRAM PERCY MAXIM.

the radio relay system to the entire
United States of America? They
went ahead and did 1t, and the
American Radio Relay League be.
came the national organisation OF
all of the radio clubs of the United
States.
A board of directors came to be
organized. and one Of the members
undertook on his own financial re-
sponsibility to publish monthly an
amateur radio magazine which
should b the mothpiece Of organ.
lied amateur radio In the United
States. The magazine was named
"QST." II was later purchased from
its originator by the league.
When the great war broke out
and the army and navy found itself
up against II for radio operators, the
American Radio Relay League. an
organized amateur radio club. was
able to offer itself and save q dan
gerous situation.
Great Help In War.
These young amateurs 70 tie
number Of nearly 5000 gave TO
Uncle Sam the best radio operators
the world has ever seen. II 10 no
reflection upon the navy o: army
operator to say that the aostsur
beat him at his own Job. The anna
teur had developed his extreme ex-
pertness because of his love tor his
hobby, and he represented. further-
more, the pick of the young mtn
Of the country.
No matter where one went IN the
army or in the navy during the
war one encountered the amateur
on every hand. from the high OF.
ficer to the enlisted man. TIE CHIEF
operators In all of the important
stations were ex-amateurs.
When President Wilson was
taken to France and brought back,
the chief radio operators on tho
George Washington were ex-ama-
teurs. And now all Of these young
men are amateurs again, ana In
these days of peace they have re-
built their organization and their
American Radio Relay League 10
composed of the most skillful ana
enthusiastic radio operators In the
world.
A year ago they decided TO dem
onstrate what their organize ton
could do in the way Of rapid In
terchange of messages from the
Atlantic to the Pacific AMI back.
and from the Canadian border to
the Gulf of Mexico and back.
Spanning the Atlantic.
One message originated In the
writer's library in Hartford and WIS
addressed to one of the amateurs in
Los Angeles. The time this message
started its first dot at the key In
Hartford to the time the answer was
received back from Los Angeles and
written out on a telegraph blank
was just six and one-half minutes.
Within the past few weekr II was
decided the technical advance In
amateur radio and the advance In
organization had been such that the
greatest Of feats might be at ;elnpted.
This was to span the Atlantic ocean
by amateur wireless signals, and
establish communication between
the amateurs of America ard the
amateurs Of Great Britain.
They selected Paul F. Cooley to
70 to Europe and look after the re-
ception and encourage the English
amateurs to take an interest II the
matter.
The American amateurs regulated
their own affairs bv self -polictnS in
such a manner as entirely to COM
nhand the matter of interference
among themselves.
They have already covered .heir
own country and Canada with en-
efficient network of communicating
lines, and they have actually begun
international amateur communities.
ton across the Atlantic ocean.
Plants are in the making to cross
the Pacific, and who may not say
that these young Americans with
their American Radio Relay League
may not establish internationa, com.
mun,cation by citizens throughout
the world, and thus bring 40 ,ut a
spread Of their spirit Of brotherhood.