Evening star., 1924-01-27
POLITICIANS WILL WAGE
BATTLES THROUGH AIR
Radio to Be Important Factor in Years
Campaign for First Time i'm
History.

OF the population Of the country Is
much more accessible through the
air route from New York than from
San Francisco. In fact, practically
one-tenth oe the population of the
country Is found within the borders
Of New York state itself.
1t is expected that the proceedings
OF the republican national convention,
at Cleveland, Ohio, are TO be spread
| broadcast to the people by means o?
the radio. The silver-tongued key
note speeches of the presiding officers,
the nominating addresses, the cheers.
al! will be transmitted 10 the waiting
millions by the radio. 1t has been
suggested that in order to keep tho
people perfectly informed IS to what
is transpiring at the conventions, an
nouncers will speak their little parts
describing what Is going on and what
is to come. In this way the people
will be informed whether q blare Of
cheering at Cleveland Is a demon
stration for Mr.. Coolidge or for Sen
ator Hiram johnson, and whether the
democratic hosts at Madison Square
McAdoo, Underwood or one OF the
other dozen democratic presidential
possibilities.
Possibilities Tried Out.
Tho possibilities Of the radio a.
a. political weapon have already been
tried out. High government officials
including the President. Secretary
Weeks Of the War Department, Sec
retary DENLY of the Navy Depart
ment, Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
of the Navy. Senators Harrison OF
Mississippi. Copeland Of New York
Robinson of Arkansas, King Of Utah,
Sterling Of South Dakota, Spencer OF
Missouri and Oddie Of Nevada are
among those who have had their
voices waited through space 70
the thousands. True. most OF the
speeches SO far delivered have beer
OF non-polittcal nature. but the
speakers have observed how easy il
is to reach the waiting crowds by
means OF the broadcasting station.
Representative Woodrum Of the
sixth congressional district of Vir-
ginta Is reported 10 have sung his
| way into the House. He has a rich
baritone voice, with which he
charmed the people of his district
Now he sings TO his constituents
from Washington by means of the
radio
| While the broadcasting stations
are under the supervision of the De
partInent of Commerce, there Is no
restriction on the number of receiy-
! ing stations. II has been estimated
| that there are 2o,000 receiving sets
| here in Washington alone, through
which the people listen in whenever
they desire. The Instruments are
| just as popular in other parts of the
| country. So the voters may be said
to be fully prepared for the coming
| campaign-rnuch more so than in the
| past, in the case of some of the
| less populous and rural districts.
In the republican and democratic
! national conventions four years ago
| the amplifying devices. SO that the
/ speakers could be heard by every
! one in the immense throngs whicE
crowded the auditoriums. were used
successfully for the first time in such
meetings. But in the coming con
ventions the voices OF the speakers
will be audible to far greater num-
Der Of persons outside the meeting
halls than in them.
Tell it TO Mike" is the advice
given today when one desires to
spread an argument or story broad
| cast. In the past the advice to meet
similar conditions was. "Telegraph
| telephone or tell it to a woman"
Mike" is the pet name for micro
phonetic instrument which starts
the spoken word on Its travels
through the air