Evening star., 1922-07-09

Head of the Radio Division, in the
Bureau Of Engineering, Navy
Department.
Copyright, 1872, by Stanford c. Hooper. All
rights reserved.)
American women will be surprised
to learn that radio plays a part-and
very important part-in making
these highly priced furs available as
articles of wearing apparel.
Indeed. it is likely that were it not
for the protection thrown around the
American fur seal herd by our gov
ernment-a protection which is now
made very effective through the agen-
cies of the bureau of fisheries and
the Navy radio service-that seal
skins would now be so scarce as TO
excite curiosity in our museums in
stead of providing warmth and COM
fort for an ever increasingly large
number of our women folk.
The peIts. which eventually are dis
played for sale in the fashionable
furrier shops as gorgeous sea!skln
wraps. originally come ftom tne
81. Pau! Island and the Island of st.
George, forty miles distant. IN berlns
sea. up near the arctic circle.
Resorts for seals.
These two small islands, which COM
prise two of the most desolate spots
on earth. apparently provide delight
full summer resorts for the fur seals.
because the seals of the American
herd come ashore on these islands and
make them their summer home for
upward of six months Of each year,
during which time their young are
born and reared on land.
From an extensive study or the
habits of the seals the conclusion has
Seen reached that they remain at sea
during the other six months OF the
year. as no evidence has been found
to indicate that the seals OF the
American herd ever come ashore at
any place other than the islands OF
ST. Paul and st. George.
1t has been assumed, therefore, that
there is no other place in the world
which is suitable as breeding place
for the American seals and Tor the
rearing of their young. and, in view
of this assumption, the United States
government star back as the year
1S69-or only two years after Alaska
was purchased from RuSsia-create ed
the Pribilof Islands special sane
tuary for the seals of the American
herd.
owing to the great pecuniary profits
to be derived from the sale of the
peIts, pelagic sealing and unrestricted
land killing continued to such an cN-
tent however. as TO threaten the eN
tinction of the American herd.
In the year 1911 the United States
entered into the North i'ac. &c sealing
convention with Great u. in Japan
and Russis and agreed upon means
Tor eft.ctuaIy protecting the seals OF
the American herd.
Gives Up Part of Skins
The United States not ou.y OBJ
ligated itself to protect and promote
tie growth of the American herd. but
TO give annually to Great Britain and
10 Japan d certain proportion OF the
$salsliins taken. The American herd
IS now inu-eas sing in numbers at the
rate of about II per cent annually
and now numbers approximately 'oO. =
cur animals.
Cc;ncidcntally with the execution
~ the north Pacific convention IN
1911. the Navy radio was charged with
The mission of establishing d radio
station on st. Paul Island to provide
he representatives OF the bureau OF
fisheries at 81. Paul with the only
possible. means of keeping in contact
ith the revenue cutters which com
prise the Bering see patrol and
which vessels police the waters of
Bering sea, when these waters are
sufficiently free from ice to be navig-
able.
The establishment of the st. Paul
station was To enable these govern
Ilent officials to also keep in touch
with the outside world through other
naval radio stations in Alaska and
thence with stations in the United
< ct.,t Il \, nf
navigation but also during the eight
long months of each year when these
islands are completely isolated from
the outside world, owing to huge ice
formations in the Bering sea.
Expedition Sent Out.
The Navy fitted out special rad.o
expedition and dispatched it from the
navy yard. Mare Island. Calf. on its
long journey to St. Paul on board the
cruiser Buffalo.
Complete material and apparatus
required to construct masts 400 feet
in height as antenna supports, build
ings to house the oil engine driven
electric generators and radio trans
mftting and receiving equipment,
quarters and furniture for the mar
ried radioman and his family, bar
racks and furnishings for the un-
married operators, heating, PLUMBING
and sewerage facilities. fuel provIs-
ions, etc. were all loaded on the Buff
falo with a small party of skilled
workmen and radio electricians and
the entire expedition placed in charge
of naval officer
The Buffalo arrived at the small
Eskimo village of st. Pauline
only settlement on the isIand-on
June 3. 1911. BY June IA all of the
equipment had been landed through
,he surf by the Bufralo's small boats.
Islsted nv The few native Eskimo
t.tti the masts had been erectad cornN =
plete, buildings constructed. appa-
ratus installed and tested and the
completed station placed In success
Ihe buffalo sailed away on July 4,