The Washington herald., 1922-07-30

the Department OF Commerce to pro-
vide. concurrently. without the de-
lay attendant on new legislation. for
unexpected changes in the science.
and. notably. for developments in the
use OF the radio telephone.
Existins Authority.
Existing authority. which is clearly
inadequate. is based on the act ap-
proved August IS. 1912. and on the
international Convention Of the same
year. before the advent Of the radio
phone. which for practical purposes
was the product of the war and the
years Immediately following the war
Since 1912 the radiophone, in the
point Of view Of the public, has come
TO have larger Importance even than
the radio telegraph. yet the only
reference to the phone in the origi-
nal legislation Is in Section 6: The
expression radio communica tion'' as
used in this act means any system
OF electrical communication by teleg-
raphy or telephony without the aid
OF any wire connecting the points
from and at which the radiograms.
signals or other communications are
sent or received Moreover, while
the use Of the radiophone has spread
with incredible rapidity so that Il is
now estimated there are fully a mil
Hon and one-half of radiophone re-
ceiving sets in the United States, the
use OF wireless telegraphy has also
greatly been extended.
DiseouraEes Progress.
The resulting confusion has ope-
rated TO discourage progress. tempo
rariiy' in field which has already
attracted a larger range of technical,
as well as amateur abilities, than
any scientific development hereto
fore.
The relation OF the many stations
owned by the various departments
OF the government TO private and
commercial stations has also pre-
sented perplexing problem. The
military and naval branches of the
government in particular have con-
tended vigorously and with justifi-
cation that their stations ought not
10 be subjected TO civilian control.
accordingly the bill for the first time
oifferentiates between governmental
ana military, or naval. uses of radio
II provides that the President shall
ahocate wave lengths which govern
ment stations shall use for strictly
governmental purposes, while all
other governmental broadcasting
snail De subject to the same central
regulation and control as is main
tained for private transmitting sta
tions.
Reserves Wave Lengths.
The bill also amends the provis-
ION In the basic law to the effect
that the wave lengths. 500 to 1 800
meters, shall be reserved. in accord
ance with the International Con-
vention. for military use. The con-
ference was of the opinion that all
wave lengths in this large range
not essential to military use should
be made available to the public. Ac-
Fcordingly, the present radio bill
proposes that this reservation be
removed. In other words. when the
governments essential requirements
will have teen determined by the
President. a much larger range for
broadcasting will be availa Bile to the
Department of Commerc for ALLEGATION
to the best possible advantage.
Amateurs can then be encour-
aged in a larger way. Newspapers,
more than forty of which are broad
casting. can be afforded a separate
band. Commercial broadcasting can
be stabilized in larger plan. Inter-
ference will be diminished. And the
general result of the proposed leg
islation must. therefore, recommend
itself to the industry and the public
generally"