Evening star., 1924-04-09
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Radio has ceased to be merely a
means of communicating entertain
me mt and information and become an
tndispe nsable method of helping man
! kind to battle with the elements.
Herbert Hoover's Department of
Commerce, where radio traffic is off,
| cially supervised. is now organizing
! a regular service whereby fire, flood
and storm warnings are to be given,
emergency aid asked for and urgent
commercial, government and press
me sSages forwarded. The scheme is
the direct result of recent floods and
storms which paralyzed railway traf-
fic and threw telegraphic communica-
tions out of gear for days at a time.
Specific instances showed that radio
is the only reliable recourse in such
emergencies. In consequence, the De-
partment of Commerce has decided
TO link up the entire wireless sySte m
OF the country in co-ordinated SOS
organization.
Radio .FTrst Aid" OutpOstS.
At every point in the United States
where there is Il sending station. pro-
fessional or amateur, there is to be
one Of these ''first aid radio outposts.
There are today 500 licensed broad
casting stations. In addition. there
arc some 500 experimental and train
ing stations. Last, but by no means
I least, there are 1900 amateur radio
stations. manned for the most part
! by the Ecenest youngsters in Amer
! lea. This network of stations, eX-
ceeding $4,000 in number and cover
! form the nucleus of an S. o. 5. service
destined to be Of incalculable hu-
manitarian Importance. Lives and
! property will be Safcguarded in an
| entirely new way
Nine Radio DkstrIrts.
Under the direction of William d.
| Terrell. chief radio supervisor. the
Department Of Commerce has divided
i the country into nine radio districts
with headquarters. respectively, at
Boston. New York. Baltimore, Atlanta,
| New Orleans. San Francisco, Seattle,
Detroit and Chicago. Each district Is
| in charge Of q radio supervisor.
These officials have Just been IN
! Structed to establish contacts with
| railroad companies, steamship lines,
news agencies, police and fire depart
mentS. the life-SaVing and coast guard
services. chambers of commerce, pub
/ lie broadcasting stations and radio
| following communication has been
| addressed:
"A recent storm in the vicinity Of
| Chicago caused the loss of practically all
wire communication in that region.
During this emergency the local broad
casting stations were utilized TO good
advantage in the operation or trains,
handling Of urgent messages and trans
mission of brief press reports.
''In the future il will undoubtedly be
found necessary to use every available
radio station in locality where wire
work is temporarily paralyZed. When
such an emergency arises these sta
tions should be prepared Immediately
to handle emergency communication
such as the movement of trains, urgent
commercial and government messages,
press reports and food and storm
warnings in addition TO requests for
assistance where uncomfortable fires
break ont.
THE Department Of Commerce de-
sires the views of all persons and
authorities who may be directly con-
Cerned regarding the use of every
available radio station in any locality
for the purpose OF handling necessary
communications in any sudden emer-