Evening star., 1925-06-26
SH0RT-WAVE ISSUE
TO BE FOUGHT OUT
Partisans to Keep Debate Alive,
With Macmillan Carry
ing Both Types.

Although the sudden turmoil be-
tween the officials of the Macmillan
expedition and the Navy Department
as to what wireless equipment is to
be used on the exploratory voyage to
the Arctic was quickly smoothed out
Wednesday. ii was. nevertheless, ap-
parent that considerable jealousy over
the respective merits of the high and
low freQuencies exists among the par
tiSanS and the Summer may witness a
keen contest between the long and
short waves in wireless transmission
In accordance with the compromise
agreed to between the sponsors of the
trip and the Navy officials, the high
frequency tranSmitter. hobby of Eu
gene +. Mcdonald, head OF the Zenith
Radio Corporation. and John l.. Rein
artZ, Jr., wireless operator for the voy
age, is TO remain installed in one Of
the Navy planes accompanying the
expedition, and low frequency Navy
transmitter is to replace the short
wave unit in the other plane.
This is in conformity with the agree
ment reached between Comdr. Mac
MILAN and the Navy Department
when Governmen\ assistance was
promised after several conferences in
Washington two months ago. The
failure to keep to this agreement has
been explained away in an announce
ment by the National Geographic So
ciety that in the hustle and hustle of
departure from Wiscasset. Me. last
week. the Navy set was accidentally
left behind.
Navy Type Upheld.
In the opinion of Navy officials the
high powered, low frequency form of
transmission has vindcated itself,
whereas the low-power, high fre-
ouency communication In extensive
tests during the Spring has showed
itself to be unreliable and unsatisfac-
tory for an expedition of the sort be-
ing undertaken by Macmillan.
On the other hand, Mcdonald and
Reinartz have stated repeatedly that
If the expedition Is to maintain com
munication with North America, 1t
will be through the medium Of short
wave. The company Of which McDon-
aid Is the head has made extensive ar
rangements to pick up the party's sig
nails. II possible, and to relay them
throughout the country. 1t is be-
lieved, however. that il the signals on
the short wave should come through,
the Zenith Company would be the only
place where they could be received.
and this, 1t is felt in many quarters,
would smack little too much of COM
mercial enterprise.
Still Held i'm Freak Class.
Although transatlantic reception on
the wave lengths sponsored by Nc
Donald and ReinartZ have been an
nounced several times. conservative
radio engineers point out that such re-
ception still belongs in the freak"
class and that the high waves, boosted
along by high power. will maintain a
far more satisfactory average system
of communication than the baby
lengths.
The Navy Department. although ex-
perimenting continuously with high
frequency transmission, feels that it
has not yet been discovered how to
control the short waves sufficiently to
stake the lives Of men on them.
The Macmillan party is not expected
to be delayed in its start because of
the little "muddle" Of Wednesday,
and II the fueling OF the ships Is COM
pleted according to plans the expedi-
ton will get under way Friday.
And then radio engineers believe
the battle of the wave-lengths will
begin.
Copyright. 1925. by Consolidated Press.)