Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-09
BY EDWARD MARSHALL.

mind No less are its marvels
as means for the promotion OF
American world influence for prog
ress and stability, for the pro-
motion of American trade. for
the advance of civilization. Today
for two hours I sat fascinated. lis
tening to the statements of Ernst F.
w. ,Alexanderson, chief engineer OF
the Radio Corporation of America.
who, 1 had been informed, was bet
ter qualified to speak upon this sub
ject than any other man available in
the United States.
1t will be noted by those who read
the article that the inclination to
speculate is not one of Mr.. Alexan-
derson's. He considers those things
actually accomplished or in sight.
He does not dream. And he need not
in order to make that which he says
sound almost like tale of wonders.
1.-THE -high-powered transmitting
plants of the United States have
doubled in capacity since 1920" said
Mr.. Alexanderson. I'm competition
with seventeen cables, radio is now
handling 20 per cent of the trans
atlantic business.
TT is important for the readers in
formation to state at this point OF
the interview that this immense in
crease in radio achievement is very
largely due to the fact that in each
of the American stations today Is to
be found the most modern trans
hitting machinery, of which the won
derful alternator. invented and per-
fected by Mr.. AleXanderson himself.
is the very heart.
THE business end of wireless is
being very competentiy developed"
he continued. IAN extraordinary
group of minds is now engaged upon
the problem, and already has per-
formed an amazing feat of organiza-
i ton. 1t will respond to all demands.
The United States has not Jagged in
| the background. We have become
| leaders of the world.
1.-The nation owes a debt of graft
tude to Owen d. Young. His response
| Immediately following the beginning
| of the war to the appeal of Admiral
| Billiard. chief of communications for
1
| this moment America, which until
| recently was not Independent Of for
eign control in radio transmission,
now is wholly so. No greater patri-
otto service ever has been rendered
| to this nation.
| ut was the war which sent radio
f.; into it's own. Before the war it had
| been interesting. With the advent of
| the war 1t became vital. Since the
war it has become commercially I'M
portant. The perfection of the alter
nator gave wireless it's real place as
f; a door of the worlds real work. Its
| ultimate meanings will be greater
| than it's present-day significance. The
way is paved for unlimited expansion.
! Wireless Transmission is now on a
power basis, and this enables US to
| apply our whole knowledge of power
technique to the radio problem.
From our radio central on Long
Island we now can send around the
world, for there we have the most
powerful and efficient radio station
| in tho world. 1t will be this which
will enable us, If at all, to establish
transoceanic telephony. We now
| reach ships at sea with good results.
We look forward to developments in
! this field as satisfactory as those
! which we already have achieved in
radio telegraphy.
Radio development really means
a new language for the world. The
| achievement of speech meant that
human beings had learned how to
| make air waves carry ideas. Now We
make the waves Of ether carry sig
lnals, for telegraphy and. by additional
| refinements of procedure. speech
through telephony. But important as
international telephony may be. it
probably will be less important than
telegraphy.
ssT LOOK forward with full conf
! dence to easy telephoning be-
tween America and Europe. as be-
tween, New York and Paris or be-
tween Washington and London. But
radio telegraphy will reach every
where. Plants are being built today
| in Poland. Later building will COM
mence in Sweden, and probably as
| times goes on in every one Of the
I
world will be included-it must be.
development of the far places
through the radio will be far simpler
| than by means of the wire telegraph.
Engineering problems are immensely
simplified, for the building of the
surface lines is eliminated. sending
and receiving stations only being
needed.
This utilization Of the ether with
out wire connections between ter
mini is an uncomfortable improve
ment over all old methods. A single
| radio station now can speak to every
other in the world if 1t has power
enough. Conceivably. one message
might 70 out from the United States
which would reach all countries on
tho surface Of the earth. Doubtless
many great improvements will be
made as the art grows, but at pres
ent 1t has been efficiencized beyond
the knowledge Of most laymen.
1.-THE question of secrecy Is always
brought up in any discussion Of COM
munication by radio, but this Is an
academic rather than a real question.
Messages which need to be kept Sc
!cret can be sent in any desired secret
code. During the war multitudes Of
DISPATCHES of vital interest to our
cause were so sent and were not in
tellisible to others than the intended
recipients.
Ordinary business messages are
sent in ordinary commercial code.
ftranslatable by any one possessing a
| .. - %ba coda hut one fact must