Evening star., 1922-12-24
BY COMMANDER STANFORD I
HOOPER l.. =. y.


Radio will this year carry beyon,
the confines of our places of Christian
worship ,the melodies OF the Christ
mas carols which for centuries hav,
blended with. the music of huma,
voices in the joyous celebration o
Yuletide
These melodies will thus he car
ried to. many radiomen and others a
sea and similarly to isolated radio
stations and other isolated points OF
land.
Many radiomen OF the Navy will b,
at their posts of duty on board shir
and on shore on Christmas day, az
will also the radio operators of the
! commercial radio concerns.
! Radio has become of such impor.
tance to the nation and toOthc ma
tional interests that it's service can
not be suspended in observance oil
Christmas or for any other purpose
Within an interval of time OF only
| about twenty-five years radio has
become one of the comparatively few
, services now regarded as being in
dispensable to all mankind. To be
effective. il must be capable Of func-
tioninG day and night throughout tho
year.
Its services arc essential and al
ways will be SO to all those who go
down to the sea in ships. IT is an
absolute necessity in our present day
system of national defense. AS a
factor in international relations and
world trade. it is rapidly becoming
indispensable. Its ultimate status as
an agency for radiophone broa dcast
ing cannot be predicted and it is not
Impossible that. eventually. it will be
regarded as indispensable as me-
dium for radiotelephonic transocean
conversations.
With the possible exception Of
broadcasting. the existing service of
radio cannot be halted or its state of
readiness cannot be impaired even
ior moment. except. for one reason
and that reason is war or threat
ened var
In such an unfortunate contingency
all radio services would operate
Jointly in the interests of the ma
t1onal defense excepting those which
would cease to function altogether,
The resourceful American BOYS of
our extensive radio system which
serves our first line of defense then
must usually remain on duty at their
postE at christmas as we'll as at other
times
The only exceptions are the radio.
men of our ships which put into
their homo ports along our Atlantic
and Pacific coasts for the Christmas
holidays.
Have Holiday Plans.
TIE radio men and others OF these
ships whose services can be shared
are usually granted leave. II desired.
so that they may spend Christmas
and New Year in their homes
Many ships of the Navy and it's
auAiliaries find themselves on the
nigh seas or in foreign ports on
Christmas day. however. as do also
many vessels of our merchant ma
rine.
christmas TO the radio men OF these
ships is virtually the same as any
other day of the year.
Radio men of the Navy may partake
of specially prepared Christmas
dinner. including the proverbial tur-
key. or they may not. depending on
sometimes. although very seldom
It is NOT feasible for ships of the
Navy to prepare in advance for their
menu on the high seas and
In such cases Christmas to the radio
man and others on board is a drab
occasion. indeed.
Radio men on ships at sea may not
even exchange Christmas greetings
with their brother operators on other
ships within range or with shore sta