The Washington herald., 1922-04-12
Congress Moves
To Control Radio
Secretary Hoover TO Be
EITHER Cop" in Regulations
Planned for Air Traffic.

Secretary Hoover will be the
EITHER cop" for radiophone fans.
IL the bill which will probably be
introduced In Congress by the end
of the week Is passed.
And the American small boy. who
makes up most of the amateur
class, will be protected to the full
est extent. II was said, in accord
ance with the expressed wishes Of
Secretary Hoover when he first
called the radiophone conference to
formulate the traffic rules, Of space.
Representative wallace H. White,
jr.. of Maine. who is framing the
bill, said yesterday that he was TAX
ing into consideration not only the
demands of the small boy and
grownup amateurs. but the radio
demands of the radio art itself
which Is too flexible at this time
to be regulated by any rigid laws.
As chairman of the legal commit
tee. of Secretary Hoover's confer
ence, White mas taken full respon-
sibiiity to launch the bill as quickly
as possible IN the House. Senator
Kellogg. OF Minnesota. also a mem
Der of that legal committee. ex-
poets to pilot the bill when It
reaches the Upper Chamber.
I'VE propose to change the ex-
isting law as little as possible"
White said. But we do want TO
make sure that the Secretary of
Commerce has ample power so that
he may classify radiophone broad
GNa rer gfa fo An- de ~
wavelengths. and generally speak
ing. eliminate interference of sta
lions of the same class of service
with each other. and among sta
tions of various classes of service.
in SO far as is possible.
Then, too. we want to include
these two provisions:
That the granting of licenses is
within the discretion OF the Secue-
taIy of Commerce. and that II is not
mandatory upon him to issue a
license upon anybody's application.
And second. that the power of
revocation Is to be assured the Sec
rotary to eliminate such stations
as may be duplicating a given serv-
ice or in other ways unduly inter-
fering.
I'VE hope that the bill, when
passed. will include a provision
that no Individual or corporation
shall get the vested tight in any
wavelength assigned to that par
tiGular class OF individual or cor
poration."
During Mr.. Hoover's radiophon-
conference the proposition Of re-
allocating broadcasting stations to
relieve the congestion now exist
ing around New York. Chicago and
San Francisco was advanced. This
proposition, White said, would not
be disposed of in the new bill. be-
cause of constantly increasing de-
velopments In the art
A further suggestion for reliev-
ing the excessive chatter" In the
ether has come from Mai. Gen.
George o. Squier. chief signal Of
fcer of the army. who believes his
use of wired wireless o. Zine
radio"-with broadcasting trans
mitted and received from the cleo
trio light mains of any community
would take care of local radio
traffic. and leave official broadcast
ing to overhead transmission.
These two suggestions" white
said. illustrate clearly the futility
of writing into the law any provi-
sions for the absolute control of
wavelengths. types of instruments.
or the manner of broadcasting.
Most likely such provisions would
be out of date tomorrow.
The law can't change as fast as
tn radio art is developing. There
fore the new regulations will be
absolutely flexible, with encourage
ment to amateurs because of thei-
experimental activity and their i'm
portant contribution to the art"