Evening star., 1924-06-08
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

A gigantic radio net Of transmit
ting stations is being developed
throughout the United States which
will eventually connect every city
and town and practically every
household. as far as reception alone
ls concerned. Under the supervision
OF the Department OF Commerce. this
means Of disseminating important in
formation. especially in times of
viduals than there are telephone sub
scribers and u larger number than
the combined Newspaper readers of
the nation. For transmission alone
IL would link up more radio stations
than there are telegraph stations.
and. considering that they would
broadcast. the distribution would be
available to all owners Of radio sets
almost to every citizen. The opera
ton of this net would be instantane-
Gus and direct to all parts of the
country Secretary Hoovers admin
istration Of matters radio would be
broadened to the republic at large in
any hour of need
This proposed radio net is partially
In operation today, of course. with
now in every state increasing each
week, and fans estimated anywhere
between 100000 and 10000. 900. But,
despite its growth, the present system
only transmits news and entertain
ment at scheduled intervals. What
the government wants ultimately is
system that In emergencies, such
as the declaration OF war, the call to
arms OF the nations man power or
the disruption OF continental COM
munications and traffic lines, could
call upon all transmitting stations
to take the air either locally, by dis
trict groups or throughout the Coun-
try s!multaneousiy and handle urgent
raffiC
Details of such gigantic scheme.
the like of which has never been at
tempted anywhere, are already being
worked out by the Department Of
Commerce, with the close co-optra-
tion Of all radio interests. Tie germ
OF the idea was started at the anna
teurs' convention in Chicago last fall,
when representatives Of their organi-
cations offered to cooperate with
railroads when regular communica-
tion systems failed. This work has
already gone in to the test stage. In
several Instances operating amateurs
have aided in the transmission Of
railway messages successfully. The
American Radio Relay League has
appointed a committee to work out
details. The league co-operated with
the Pennsylvania system between the
Atlantic seaboard and the Mississippi
River recently in an emergency test,
to the qualification of the general su-
perintendent of telegraph. Other
railway systems have declared their
desire TO establish such an amateur
radio auxiliary system, in anticipa-
tion of failure of their wire com
munications or the need for addi.
tional terminal and receiving stations
along their rights of way.
The activities of between 1000
and $4,000 licensed amateurs, all
owning listed transmission stations
and all code operators, are only one
phase OF the general scheme of link
telegraph and telephone systems of
the country are willing to cooperate
If the need arises, but some Of them
declare that interruptions in their
established lines OF communication
are so infreQuent that the necessity
of using radio AS an auxiliary is not
needed. Army officers in charge of
the military radio net which handles
governmental radio traffic throughout
the country say that they could tie
in with the amateurs in very shor;
time to aid in reaching SHALL COM
munities lying outside thelf main ra-
dio traffic lines and beyond the
smaller nets in their corps area. The
Naval Communication Service is in
close touch with amateur activities
The research section is working with
amateurs on short-Wave transmission
with remarkable results.
The radio section of the Depart