Evening star., 1922-03-12

district, 1t covered three counties
Butler, Montgomery and Preble-of
which the 1920 population figures
were 319.795. 1t is the largest con-
gressional district in Ohio by more
than 5000 voters, and has $4,000
voters While only relatively small
fraction of this constituency heard
the speech, 1t was only because the
art of radio-telephony has progressed
so fast that only comparatively few
people have yet had a chance to
equip their homes with the receiving
sets.
Now. il Congress passes the Bren-
| nan bill, or some other measure au-
thorizing and directing the installa-
tion of radio-telephones broadcasting
equipment in the Capitol for the use
Of Congress, just how big a job
would it be. and how many hundreds
Of thousands of dollars would it
cost? That's what quite a few mem
bers of both the Senate and House
have been asking since the Brennan
bill was introduced Most of the
members of Congress appreciate that
lit would be big forward step, that
it might help along several needed
reforms and mean a practically con-
tinuous campaign to stand right be-
fore the home voters during all the
time a man is in Congress. Those
who have been keeping abreast oil
the times say that such an installa-
tion is inevitable.
I 1t would take only a couple of days
to install the necessary electrical
equipment and would cost very little.
since the Brennan bill provides for
installing tranmitting apparatus from
stock which the Navy already has
on hand The only thing that would
take time and cost money would be
to perfect the magma vox, which
would catch the voices of members
in any part of the legislative chamber
for broadcasting debate. Eventually
this will be worked out. probably in
the form of hood or funnel near
the ceiling, into which viii flow the
many voices. Greater power in send
ing the electrical current shooting
out through the ether will also have
to be developed, but this phase of
the problem has already been worked
out and the equipment is being in
stalled now in the Arlington towers.
Right here should come an eN-
PLANTATION that there is a decided diff
ference between wireless telegraphy
and the radio phony. The differ
ence between the telegraph service
! and telephone service is very marked.
The big traffic by radio all over the
world-the broadcasting of American
news in the orient and to outlying
American possession and dependencies
and to the ships at sea-is by the old
dot-and dash telegraphy. The trans
mission of the voice today-shooting
it off into space from the wireless
towers-is no where near as accurate
as the sending of radio messages by
the telegraphc code, which is al
ways a sure-fire method.
X x
no one who has followed the
radiophone Developments doubts
for one second but that this new
science will soon be greatly per-
fected. and that a big help will come
out of the national conference. which
Secretary Hoover has just held here.
for quieting the much disturbed
ether, controlling the general chaos
that has resulted in the air from too
general broadcasting and the en-
tanglements of amateurs, the alloca-
ton of certain wave lengths and the
granting of certain definite rights of
way to the agencies that can best
serve the public interests.
So much by way of general eXpla-
nation. Now as to what must be done
SO that Congress can have it's radio
telephone service: Absolutely all
that is needed is to set up on the
reading table in the pit of the House.
in front of the Speakers table, or
similarly in the Senate chamber, an
amplifier-a box arrangement which
will catch the members voice as he
makes his speech - similar to that
used by President Harding when he
delivered his inaugural address on
the east front of the Capitol on March
!. Wires from this box will run
down into a room in the basement.
where enlisted personnel of the Navy
would sit and plug in the telephone
connection to the big wireless towers
at Arlington. in much the same way
as a telephone operator plugs in a
connection on 2 switchboard. Prob
ably a special leased wire connection
would be used Thus relayed. the
voice of the speaker in the House or
Senate would be shot off into the
ether, and any of the people in his
home district, or any one with receiv-
down their telephone receiver, tune
up their receiving sets to the proper
adjustment and listen to their hearts
lcontent-or to their political aggra-
walton if the particular speech did not
happen to suit their fancy.
Congress would not have to place
towers on the Capitol roof, nor to
Idetract from the beauty of the most
stately and impressive dome in the
world by stringing up antennae. In
lfact, Congress has wireless towers
land a wireless station of its own. al
though many members are unaware
Of this fact. When wireless was FIRST
talked of abroad. Elliott Woods.
architect of the Capitol, picked up his
ears, studied and experimental and
soon became recognized on both con-
tinents as one of the best informed
men on the subject. Congress gave
him a small appropriation to equip