Evening star., 1924-03-02
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

\ course in communications was
added to the curriculum of the United
States Naval Academy at Annapolis
last week. Among the essential divi-
sions of the newly prescribed course. for
the midshipmen is radio in it's practical
applca ton to naval and military, war
and peace time routine.
Previously the students OF the
Navy's school learned only the prin-
4, ciples of telephone, telegraph and
radio communication as Il part Of
their electrical course. Now commu-
nication has come into its own, and
Il new text book. entitled "Notes on
Naval Communication" has been in
troduced as part of the curriculum.
In an address introducing the study
OF communications, Commander d. c.
Bingham, assistant director of naval
communications, outlined the new
course and cited some of the problems
dcvolving upon communications in
Feet efficiency. He also reviewed
progress and mentioned some of the
Possibilities hoped for in II perfect
communication system.
His main theme showed the rela-
.,tion of communications in fleet eff
ttiency to enable the mtdshipmen to
ncwly issued text book compiled by
Lieut.. \. c. Kidd, U. S. n. with the
operation of the communication
snd engineering experts of the Navy.
Crder radio the book reviews both
: material 'and operation, touching on
btHansmitttnS and receiving equip
mont for the several types of naval
sea and aircraft. installation. codes
and procedure. Other chapters deal
with shore and sea Communications
including sound as, well as radio. and
the duties of Il Communication off,
cor. One citation. perhaps. will suf-
fee t" show the purpose of the new
The .ntfre fabric of our national
p:'Spefity is erected upon Il founda-
ttpi, of efficient communication"
IN another instance the text reads:
f|ioWever important communications
sG#y be to the nation i'm time of peace,
in time of war they are vital"
Commander Bingham pointed out
lth" essential part OF communication.
with diagrams of the Navys fleets
b"S",c him. he showed how necessary
1t was To have co-ordination of move
tsn"nt, which, in turn, depends upon
perfect communications. Some os the
orr LIENS within the scope of naval
f"mmEnicattCn mentioned We're the
70 Grafton and maintenance of the
F@val communication system af1oat in
IN CAMPAIGN in either or bots oceans
IT.. operation of radio facilities for
MARINERS, the promotion of harmony
IL Wcen private and governmental
Tnited States radio. cable and COM
ti'"" systems, and wartime as well
+: pea"e-time operation in the inter-
gt'is of Americans
-tS a ciViliZing factor, the new
O. -"ncy of communications, radio tele-
ph' .ly. through it's use in broadcast
ing. in the opinion of Commander
F,nSham, viii have an influence
NJ 1,c lie
every and development of printing.
Owing to the range of radio and it's
Tanidity. there is a tendency, he
r".nts out. TO neglect and undervalue
ith" new course has been developed
with the idea Of showing radios
nla 'e-where it will augment rather
than replace other means of inter-
course. Every means of communica-
tim must he studied and developed.
be insists. but he would reserve the
air as free as possible for important
aad urgent dispatches.
While it is not yet held imperative
that naval communicat ton officers be
operators, they must know the types
and capabilities Of apparatus. Today
modern battleship has main trans
one auxiliary transmitter and one
sound-telegraph transmitter 1t also
has one receiver for high power shore
stations. three receivers for informa-
ot dHu oidefS' tiFee receivers Tor
=, division maueuverS and fire control
one receiver for hattIe-,ine signals
one radio compass and one listening
device and sonic range finder. With
this equipment the battleship Colo
RADIO can, with proper personnel.
simultane eouSly operate as follows:
Transmit four radio messages, receive
seven radio messages from vessels or
shore stations, receive one message
from a distant shore station and OBJ
tain radio bearings on frequencies not
being used by the ship for trans
mission.
The duties now assigned to COM
rnunication officers of the Navy re-
u nuire considerable knowledge Of ra-
dio apparatus and experience in
handling radio communication in ma.
val operations. The Navy is seeking
TO inculcate into the midshipmen the
basic principles before they graduate
rs officers.