New-York tribune., 1922-04-09
Next Congress
To Be Elected
By Radiophone
First Gun in Political War
fare Has Already Been
Fired From Washington
in Indiana Primaries
Miss Robertson in Fray
Radio Will Exert Deciding
Influence, but Only Good
Speeches Will Get Votes

"Fellow citizens, point with pride
to the remarkable achievements Of the
party to which have the honor to be-
long and view with alarm the terrible
calamity which will befall the country
if the iniouitous measure fathered by
Senator Sorghum should be enacted
into law by the Congress. 1t is your
duty, fellow citizens, to defeat this
abominable legislation, and if you elect
me | promise faithfully to oppose it at
all costs"
Out over the nightly ether such
messages as these will be floating In
impassioned tones with the best Con-
gressonal oratorcal flourishes within
the next few weeks, as Congre ssmen
and Senators awake to the possibilities
of radio as means Of electioneering.
In fact, there isn't the slightest doubt
but that the November elections will
be decided in the air--just as it was
predicted the last war would be.
In this case, however, it will be II
different kind of aerial battle, verbal
bombs taking the place of those filled
with T. N. r. In one respect, how
ever, the Congressional aerial warfare
will be similar to the late unpleasant
ness in Europe-there will be lots Of
gas released.
The battle is already on with a
vengeance, and it looks as though it
will be fight to q finish. The first
gun was fired in Washington by SEN
ator Harry S. New, who, unable to be
present in his home state of Indiana
addressed the voters there by radio
phone from the government naval
broadcastng station in Washington. in
the primary campaign against former
Senator Albert j. Beveridge.
Bipartisan Fight Is On
This. so incensed the Democrats that
despite the fact that it was a private
Republican fight in Indiana. Senator
King, of Utah, Immediately raised rue
tions because the Navy Department
had permitted the Senator from In
diana to use the government electro
magnetic waves for the purpose of
casting his voice across the country.
He threatened to open the whole mat
ter up on the floor of Congress and
arouse the country to the alarm with
which he viewed the terrible prece-
dent
Even the polite retort of the navy
officials that the station would be
placed at his disposal to address his
constituents in Utah failed to mollify
the ire of Senator King-but, of course,
Senator King is not seeking re-elec-
ton this year.
The adventure of Senator New into
the realm of ethereal conversation has
whetted the appetites of all the other
Senators and Congressman, irrespec-
tive of party affiliations. because they
see a brilliant opportunity which is
not presented by "The Congress onal
Record"; an opportunity of letting
their constituents listen to the golden
oratory with which they move the
halls Of Congress and rock the ma
tional craft upon the political seas.
Senator News venture was quickly
followed by Miss Alice Robertson, the
lady from Oklahoma, who desired to
speak with her constituents in Musko-
gee. Something, however, went wrong
ut the last moment, and Miss Robert
son was compelled to fall back upon
the transcontinental telephone line,
and her speech by radio has been de-
ferred for a time, while the citizens
Of Oklahoma are waiting patiently for
the novelty of their careers.
The general rank and file Of Con-
gress is all up in the air over the op-
portunity afforded by radio for cleo
tioneering purposes. Their anticipation
has been aroused by the statement
made by Secretary of Commerce Her
bert Hoover that upward of million
American homes are now equipped with
radio receiving apparatus. Those Con-
gressmen Of q mathematical turn of
mind have been extremely busy of late
figuring things out on a slip Of paper.
Most of them are arguing along the