Evening star., 1923-04-26
:HARBORD PROTECTS
IN RADIO FIELD.
Demands All Employees OF
Corporation Be American
+ = - e --
! Citizens.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

& BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Announcement by j. G. Harbord,
tformerly major general in the Amer
gican Expeditionary Forces. and now
president of the Radio Corporation
sof America, that all employees of the
company must be American citizens.
.and that those who edo not want TO
Sbe naturalized are at liberty to leave"
has made profound impression here.
swhere it is recognized as a significant
fsbquel to the stories that have been
sahoat ever since the war that the
sBritish controlled the radio Facilities
sof the world directly or indirectly.
4 There's an Interesting tale behind
sthese rumors. Congress passed its
spresent laws taking the American
SNavy out of the radio business and
Encouraging private capital TO take
sarsely in the belief that Americas
military and naval interests could
2oe protected by insisting that the
Eadio companies operating here must
be American owned.
Z Had British Of6cers.
! Originally the American Marconi
company was a British concern. and
name OF the Radio Corporation of
America 1t is true that the majority
or the stock was held by American
citizens. In fact. the American Tele-
arhone and Telegraph Company. United
2'ruit CompanE and the General Elec-
Iric Company together exercised the
Eentrol, but it so happened that many
0f the officers OF the company were
English or Canadian. Many of the
original Marconi employees were re-
tained.
Some of the men in the Navy De-
Dartment here who saw the American
5sadto Corporation take over existing
Stations did not like the idea of alien
management. In fact. while the own
rrs were American the actual opera
zion of the company was repeatedly
said to be In the hands OF citizens Of
fhe British Empire. Rumor has it
mat several stormy meetings OF the
board OF directors of the American
Radio Corporation were held in which
she viewpoint of the American Navy
was heard from. but 1t was not until
Maj. Gen. Harbord resigned as as
distant chief OF staff of the United
states Army to accept the presidency
OF the American Radio Corporation
mat people here felt secure about the
mana cement of radio communicat lion
with foreign countries.
Restores Conscience.
The step taken by Gen. Harbord,
means he intends to, follow-to the let
ter the wishes Of the American own
ers of the radio corporation that the
company be operated in consonance
with American naval desires.
The very appointment of Gen Har-
oord carried with it an assurance that
radio communication would be estab-
Eshed with the rest OF the world on
tional Ill will. For the Radio Cor
poration has begun operations in
many parts OF the world, and has
linked Its systems with the internal
Telegraph lines of mnay countries. At
the present stage of world affairs, an
american company has a greater
chance to establish close relations
with foreign governments than con-
Germs from any Of the other allied
The Radio Corporation will in time
md itsele the main avenue of COM
munication. for instance, between
Germany and the United States. as
the French and British do not seem
willing as yet to give American cable
companies the necessary access to
Germany by direct lines. Radio Cor
tablished in South America and in
time the present inadequate COM
munication across the Pacific will be
improved by the use of radio.
Delays to the cables in the Pacific
have interfered seriously with the
growth Of transpacific trade, and
while the American Navy is at pres
ent helping out. ultimately private
concerns must undertake the Job, for
under present laws the American
Navy can accept messages only be-
tween points at which private COM
panies are unable to handle the busi-
ness.
BfggeSt I'm World.
Difficulties at present with . the
chinese government over American
HfnN Sctn fr 1.
less stations are due, it is said, largely
20 the influence Of certain foreign in
terests. The American Radio Corpora
ZION is perhaps the biggest company
or Its Kind in the world. 1t has ar
rangements with the internal tele-
graph distributing systems Of France
and Great Britain as we'll as Germany
and will cover the European continent
in time with other connections. In
America 1t has affiliated itself with
the Postal Telegraph Company, which
forward or distributes most of the
radiograms received at or sent to
coast stations.
The fight for American control and
operation of foreign communications
had It's reflex in the controversy over
cables and it was not until certain
Iid British connections of the Western
were said to have Disseminated
against American cable companies in
South America that official permis-
sion was given by the United States
cables on the Florida coast connect
ing this country and South America.
Most OF the cable lines OF the world
are British-owned or British-con-
trolled. The radio business lends
Itself to foreign domination because
Of the natural connections that must
be formed with various countries Of
the world. but the step taken by Gen.
Harbord means that. while the Raaio
Corporation will not discriminate
against foreign countries. it's opera
tons from within will hereafter bs
entirely Americanized and no one who
is not citizen will be hired except
by special permission from Gen. Har-