Evening star., 1924-09-12
RADIO SIMP[|FIES
M'M|LLAN'S TASK
Allows Time for Scientific
Study Hitherto Needed to
Cheer His Associates.

W1SCASSET. Me, September H.
BY equipping the Bowdoin with radio
Capt. Donald B. Macmillan has taken
the first step toward lifting the field
OF exploration from a plane Of dreadful
hardship to comparative comfort, allow
ing much greater opportunity for the
more serious work of scientific research.
Macmillan Is distinctly a progressive
type OF scientist. II he had not been
he would have scofred at the very idea
OF taking a radio transmitter inside the
aurora.
The people OF this little town. where
his arrival is expected about September
20. will tell you that with him Arctic
exploration is a hobby. While the word
conveys visions of stamp collectors and
what-not, it is the only one that ex-
presses adequately the explorers in
terest in the natives and geography of
the northland. He has never been so
concerned with spectacular discoveries
as he has been in making observations
OF scientific value. His books testify to
that.
Radio Sinpli1es Work.
For Is months his radio equipment
has justified the faith that he placed in
1t before leaving. One of his greatest
obstacles in previous expeditions has
! been the difficulty of keeping members
OF his crew optimistic and cheerful.
Radio has undoubtedly helped to rob
the far North of such terrors. But its
work is not yet done. and the final
scene is now being acted in this village.
Arriving here by automobile from
Hartford. Conn, today, F. II. Schnell,
traffic manager of the American
Radio Relay League, began work
on special amateur radio station
with which he expects to establish
and maintain communication with
WNP all the way down the Labrador
coast until the "Bowdoin" draws up
at the dock. The townspeoplc are all
| keenly interested in the undertaking.
Many friends Of MacMillan's crew.
or which there are a great number in
this section. are already preparing
messages which they hope will be
| sent to the ship through this station.
Some have never seen an amateur
transmitter and they are following
every move of the installation. Others
are more anxious to hear some word
from WNP. All the while the set is
being assembled rapidly, and Mr..
Schnell said today that he expected it
would be in operation by tomorrow
! night at the very latest.
Single Welcome Plan.
With this single exception, there
is scarcely any sign as yet of the
, preparations for the explorers well
come. While the townspeople can be
| expected to take the arrival philo-
sophically, they are fully aware of
| the widespread interest in the event
and never fail in their rospitaIity in
! behalf of the thousands who are on
hand to witness the return OF each
! expedition to the polar regions.
Meanwhile there is considerable
speculation as to what Macmillan
will bring back with him. 1t was
recalled that d motion picture came ra
was included AS part OF his equip
mcnt. and some of the Maine folk
have suggested that the explorer may
have taken photographs Of the Es-
kinos listening to the white mans
radio music. The imagination rather
tineles at the thought of seeing their
reaction to the latest product of sci
once.
Estinaos Probably CanoveI.
Perhaps they have forgotten that
the Eskimos have already been made
acquainted with the canned music
of the phonogra phi. and it may take
Il great deal OF persuasion to prove
that radio is not more Of the same
kind of 'medicine.H They are said to
have marvellous mechanical skill, and
Macmillan has told how easily they
">iS oo'S ~ IdhS 1iHc apart anu
put 1T together. He attributed the
| feat to their wonderful m emories.
If they could do the same with a
radio set, they might easily prove
themselves moro skillful than hun :
dreds of our most jealous fans, who
have frequently spent hours trying
to make their homemade sets work
although they have a complete dia-
gram before them. But, after all. II
was his own men that Macmillan
, thought about when he packed, ra
dio with him to the Arctic.
switzerland is planning state as
SiStance for her unemployed ava ~