Evening star., 1922-08-20

Radio has become to the modern
fighting fleet what the nervous system
is to the human body.
In fact the naval radio service now
constitutes the nervous system of our
entire naval organization.
The principal nerve centers Of the
Navy are the bureau of operations
in the Navy Department and the
flagships of our Atlantic. Pacific and
Asiatic fleets.
The nerves" which connect these
centers and radiate therefrom are
the ether waves created in the at
mosphere by the Navy's radio sta
tions on shipbcard. on aircraft and
on shore.
All activities in the naval radio es-
tablishment. whether afioat, ashore
or in the air. are subordinate to and
exist for the purpose of serving these
four important agencies Of the navy.
The mission Of radio in the Navy IS
an important one. 1t is TO provioe
adequate channels of efficient com
munication within our three fleets;
between the fleets and their auxii-
iaries. between the fleets and their
bases and to connect up these anu
all other naval activities with the
navy loi lhS SASAN-'o
CT rapid communications
For military reasons and In the IN :
terests of reliability under all conol-
tions, this service must be entireiy
self contained and independent OF all
other systems of communication
This involves the eQuipping OF al.
sea-going vessels of the Navy IRON
battleships to tugs with sultaols
radio apparatus and likewise ha'ai
aircraft.
1t also involves the establishment
of radio stations on shore along oui
coasts and in our outlying posses.
sions to serve each individual heet
and it involves the establishment oI
chain of super-high power stations
for inter- -communicat ton between tne
four principal agencies of the Navy
and the naval establishment as
whole.
Obviously an extensive radio sys-
tenn is necessary to meet these re-
quirements.
super-high power radio stations on
shore which are now in daily opera
ton to meet the essential neeos ol
the Navy stretch more than one
quarter the distance around the giope
from Annapolis, Md. to Ca'ite' III
the Philippines.
This widely extended chain OF sta
tions is essential to MAINTAIN contdcl
with our Asiatic and Pacific heets as
we'll as Atlantic fleet.
From the administrative center IN the
Navy Department at Washington direc-
tipns are sent out at will by the Secre-
tary of the Navy or President to the
fleet in any section of the ATLANTIC OF
Pacific The ex-Gernan station at Say
vile, L. l.. is utilized by remote con-
troll from the communication once ~
the Navy building in Washington 10
transmit to the fleet when the latter IS
operating in the north Atlantic. Another
high powered naval station at Cayey'
Porto Rico. covers the immediate Vicln-
ity of the West Indies and to the east
ward while in the vicinity of the Canal
Zone on both coasts the first OF the
naval high-powered arc stations at
Darien provides continuous ss.. rei1aole nar,,
small delay is experienced in trans
initial Of MESA ges for the feet from
Washington to Cayey or Darien for re-
transmittal, since Sayville is used to
and they in turn can acknowledge
directly to the Navy Department IN
Washington.
The Annapolis station is used to COM
municate with the Pacific and Asiatic
fleets For this purpose. 1t usually trans
nlits TO San Francisco or to San Diego.
These stations then in turn transmit to
the fleet. if within range. or. that being
uncertain, relay the message to the
Pearl Harbor station in the Hawaiian
lSIdUCS- Inc ldltcI Stdlloii liCh -
nits to the fleet. and if the message is
destined for the Asiatic fleet, a second
relay takes place from Pearl Harbor to
Cavite in the Philippines. which station
then delivers the message.
Reports from the fleets to the Navy
Department eHviously follow the reverse
course and with equal rapidity. Thus
constant close touch is maintained be-
tween each fleet and the nerve center at
Washington.
In each fleet itself suitable inter-
communication systems and systems for
communication with shore stations have
been worked out. These are constantly
being developed.
1t may be thought that interdeet
communication is a simple matter. Were
it not for the large number of types OF
vessels associated in complete fleet,
each group OF which is under its own
commander, who in turn reports to the
commander -in-chief, and the consequent
tions needs of each group and in addi-
ton for special activities. it might be a
simple matter. Actually the inter-
fleet communication system is highly
complex and thoroughly systematized.
A modern battleship therefore is
the equivalent Of several radio stations
and radio school as well as floating
fortress.
There is probably more radio appara-
tus in service on board one of our fleet
fiagships than will be found in most
radio laboratories
On the smaller and less important
ships of the Navy the radio apparatus
Is less extensive
The flagship Of a modern fleet while
engaged in battle is a Veritable bee
hive Of activity. and the activity does
not consist entirely Of loading and FIR
ing the guns.
1t is essentially the brains of a fleet
engaged in battle. and success or fall
ure may easily depend on the MAIN
tenance of contact with the various
fleet units and it's auxiliaries.
Disaster may come from beneath
the waves or out of the clouds as we'll
as from the opposing feet on the sur
face of the ocean, or danger may
threaten from enemy forces held in
reserve and concealed beyond the
range of visibility.
All these must be guarded against,
and the safeguarding agency is an
adequate and efficient communication
system corresponding to an alert nerv-
Gus system in healthy human body.
A battle fleet or naval organiza-
tion today which did not possess an
adequate and efficient radio service
would be comparable, as regards its
all around effectiveness. to a human
body partially paralyzed.
The building up of an extensive
radio service is not the work of days
or months. but Of years. The degree
OF efficiency obtained is the result Of