Evening star., 1924-04-06


been confined to the Land and the
water.
To-day there are literally 10000
people trying to traverse the ether
with all sorts of messages, and mas
rnoniu1n if there we're no trafr1c, rules,
there has grown up demand from
the users of the ether themselves for
government regulation. This Is m
which has generally with one acclaim
welcomed and prayed for government
1T is only during the last three
years that this job has become nt
some difficulty. Judging by the large
volume of inquiry which the depart
ment receives from radio listeners, !
may be of service on this occasion II
l give some explanation of the rea-
sons for the present regulation.
Some day. with a greater develop
ment of the art. We may use severai
thousand different wave lengths-but
today we must keep them good ways
apart, and we have the use of a very
limited number. Therefore, the as
signment of wave lengths and pre-
venting duplication and crowding in
their use is the first step in regulation
of the traffic.
Up to ten years ago practically all
messages were dispatched by the dot
and dash method. They had grown
TO nave COnSi0eTaDIe lol
the transmission of messages from
ships and to a small extent in inter
national communication. The insfru-
ments have been much perfected since
that time, so that we have very con-
siderable increase in the number OF
wave lengths available for tele-
graphic purposes and we are not
much troubled in that field.
THE use OF radio for telephone
purposes only became possible with
ha af he IN -
amplifying the electric currents
which are controlled by the voice and
which are made to produce sound.
But the transmission of sounds in
and practically used only in the lower
wave lengths. Our broadcasting and
ordinary receiving sets are today
limited to the area from zoo meters to
about 500 meters. In this range we
can so far only safely venture fifteen
zone. Some of the bands in this range
must be reserved for ships and for
amateurs. and the use of closely ad-
jacent bands in nearby cities is not
feasible, so that We have at present
a maximum of about seven that we
can safely use for telephone broad
casting in a given vicinity without
Interference.
For telegraphic purposes we can
use a great many different wave
bands above 500 meters and there is
no substantial congestion in that
work Furthermore, We are trying
gradually to eliminate the use of
telegraph, except for amateurs. in any
of the wave lengths which can readily
be applied to telephone purposes. al
ways maintaining, of course, pro-
vision for communication with ships.
IF we wanted to apply the tele-
phone communications, such as we
have in the normal telephone serv-
ino
at once in any one neighborhood, and
therefore it has no practical applica-
tion for service in personal communi-
cations.
in regulation. We do not allow any
personal communications by telephone
within this range of wave lengths.
but reserve it entirely for broadcast
ing purposes, where millions of per-
sons can be served instead of few.
If we allow private communication
by radio telephone we would have the
air filled with invitations to a dinner
or comments on Lilly's bobbed hair.
Nith possible exclusion of d speech
by the President of the United States.
we have about $40 broadcast ting
stations, and in order that each one OF
them may have some right to start
things in the ether, we have to regU-
late them in two different fashions.
First, in making the assignments to
class B broadcasting stations, we
have divided the country in five
quencies or wave lengths in zone
zones and assigned about ten fire.
No. l. ten other wave lengths in
lengths used in adjacent zones are
separated farther than those used in
widely distant zones. And when
there are more than two or three
in any given zone, we have to arrange
for them to divide the time during
the day
THE next problem in regulation is
that there should become no vested
right to a wave length on the part
be creating a monopoly of a certain
road through the ether and therefore
we must limit the use of the ether
to a definite period of years or
reasonable conditions, return the use
of this particular wave length to
the government. At the same time,
we must be careful to give reason
able continuity of service to broad
casting station SO as to warrant its
erection and support
II certainly am opposed TO the gov
eminent undertaking any censorship
even with the present limited number
of stations" the secretary declared.
adding, cit is better that these ques-
tions should be determined by the
$40 different broadcasting stations
than by any governn ent official.
These stations naturally are en-
deavoring to please their listeners
and thus there is an indirect censor
ship by the public. What we must
safeguard is that there shall be no
interference with free speech. that
no monopoly of broadcasting stations
should grow up under which any
person or group could determine what
material will be delivered to The
public
"Legislation is before Congress
that would safeguard all of these
questions and maintain government
control of the ether, would hold open
the questions of free speech and vet
permit of the normal and proper de-
veiopnent of the art through the in
itiative and ingenuity OF our people.
This LEGISLATION provides further au-
ozn he better controlled" At the
present time interference Is Kept
down to a large extent through will
ing and loyal cooperation Of the
broadcasting stations and amateurs
with the Department OF Commerce,
Commenting upon other problems
confronting radio development. Sec
retary Hoover mentioned the neces-
sary- expenses of broadcasting sta
ttohs. such as the payment of stars.
the costs of intereonnections between
hroadcasters by wire or radio relay
ing to broaden their scope nationally,
saying total expenses were at the
rate of s5,eoo,o0o a year. The only
return so far is trivial, he believes,
in the form of Advertising the sta
tions or increasing the sale OF instru-
nlents. If radio broadcastins is over
whelmed with advertising the radio
audience will disappear in disgust,
he prophesied, adding that he was
confident a solution would be worked
out evanfUal1v