Evening star., 1922-02-26

public service set up especially sc
that business men may have service
keeping apace with development OF
limitless and instantaneous communi-
cation with all parts Of the earth.
The first public radio broadcasting
station in the worlds history is now
being prepared for the public. to ham
die the distribution of news, music
and other programs on a commercial
basis. A permit has been granted for
the erection of a wireless teller hone
broadcasting station by the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company on
the roof of the Walker-Lispenard
building. New York city
This will be the first practical step
taken to quiet the much disturbed
ether. now in a general turmoil
through indiscriminate use of wire
less broadcasting, which prompted
President Harding to direct Secretary
Hoover to call a national conference
of sientists and radio experts and
traffic managers of communication
services.
y y
The granting of franchise for the
use of certain wave lengths to pub.
lie service corporations, which wDuld
establish public radio telephone pay
ness men. is a probable result of the
Hoover onference. which will con.
vene here tomorrow.
Such solution of the existing mud
died situation. created by genera
broadcasting. which has resulted in
making it practically impossible fol
any one to get important business
transacted by radio, was in tn. mind
of Secretary Hoover when he brough;
the question up at a cabinet meeting
several weeks ago and found the
President in a very sympatheti: frame
Of mind
An application for the use of a con.
venient wave length for strictly com.
mercial business is already before the
Department of Commerce. 1t is under.
stood the application is made by one
Of the large public service companies
which has hundred Of clients clamor
ing for the use of a public radio pa,
station" A convention OF radio anna.
teurs and scientists held in Wash.
ington last week voted to recommend
to the Department Of Commerce thar
commercial radio broadcasting be as
signed definitely to the 1,00e-l, sol
meter wave length class. and that
amateurs be allowed the 100000 metel
waves.
That the ALLEGATION Of certain
wave-lengths to reliable concerns
which will operate them for the
| use of the public. under strict regu-
lation by some civil branch of the
government. is the real solution OF
the present general turmoil in the
! ether, is the opinion Of Representa-.
tive Wallace H. White. tr.. of Maine
| who is preparing to introduce a new
| radio-control bill. based on the con
clusions Of the radio conference here
this week.
Representative White is the father
| Of q radio bill now pending before
Congress, action on which was post
! poned during the International con.
ference on Limitation Of armaments
! for fear that 1t might muddy the
| waters Of the far eastern questions
Representative White has drafted q
| rev radio bill. which he intends tc
introduce at the close Of the national
radio, conference. OF which he is q
| member. = . 49,
1--WE will have to grant exclusive
right to certain wave-lengths. Just a.
we grant franchises to public serv-
ice corporations" Mr.. White says
| These must be revocable. because
we cannot give absolute property
rights to the ether. which Is the COM
mon property Of all the people. but
we must give certain concerns the
right to use certain wave lengths
within the limit OF a federal permit
or license"
1t is large corporations backed by
private capital which must be relied
upon to develop the great new means
Of communication, Representative
White. recognizes. and he believes
that tho government should encour-
ago such development and make II
certain by making it possible for
such corporations to give reliable
service to the public. This they will
be unable to do. he says, unless they
have assurance of uninterrupted use
of the air on q wave-length all their
own.
r +
Representative White has been
giving close study to the radio prob
lem. "All is confusion now" he
says, In describing existing condi-
tions which must be improved.
There are physical limitations to
the indiscrim1nate use of the air for
radio communication" he continued.
"when we get too many persons try
ing to use wave lengths OF nearly
the same length 1t just messes the
ether all up and nobody can COM
nunicate.
"As far as transoceanic communica-
tion is concerned there are only a
limited number of wave lengths. and
as a result of international agreement
certain number OF these wave
lengths are assigned to this country.
There has to be some regulation Of this
limited number Of wave lengths. Say
there are forty of these wave lengths,
for an illustration. you cannot have
400 concerns undertaking simuitane-
ously to use them.
$50. also. when we come down to the
shorter wave lengths, there Is physi-
cal limit to the use Of them.
'Tt is inevitable" Mr.. white says,
that there must be exercised some
where most rigid control of the air.