Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-03-08
PLANS UNDER WAY
FOR RADIO FARLEY
State Department Expected
Soon to Call International
Conference Here.
RY CARL II. BUTMAN.

RN CARL II. BUTMAN.
with the passage of the bill carrying
the State Departments budget of
5000. plans for the international
radio conference, to be held in Wash
ington in September, are being for
mulated The actual agenda depends
somewhat upon what action the world
telegraph conference at Paris takes
this Summer. The United States will
not be officially represented, as 1t is
not a party to the convention. a care
full study of the action taken there,
especially with reference to the atti-
tude of the World Powers, will, how
ever, be made by American govern
mental OFFICIALS and radio experts, In
order that the general trend of opin-
ION on electrical communication may
be followed.
1t may be found more practical to
eliminate discussion on strictly tech
nical matters, such as specific wave
channels, power limitation, etc, as
they light tie up development in
mass of technicalities which could
not be changed for three or four
years.
The essentials of world wide radio
communications will be covered in the
Paris conference, since they are In
corporated under the clause of the
old telegraph convention of 1908,
covering ship to- shore radio communi-
cation. 1t is believed that the Paris
conference will extend these regula-
tons to cover transoceanic radio
services. If this is the case, radio
service in general, licenses. classifi-
cation of messages. accounts and
rates may be outlined at Paris prior
to the American conference.
General Rule Discussion.
Other subjects which are likely to
find a place in the discussion here are
general, though flexible. rules to cover
interference, also rates, services and
methods of handling international
radio traffic. The conference may
thresh out wave lengths to be used in
ship to- shore radio communication, as
that question affects each country;
the old plan of abolishinG the spark
apparatus may reappear. The assign
ment of suitable channels for inter-
national radio telephone broadcast
ing will undoubtedly be considered
Standardization is needed; abroad vary
long waves are used, compared with
those employed in the Western Henri
sphere. An international aircraft chan
mel is becoming an important ques
ton due to the development of air
routes throughout Europe, where air
ships and planes fly over several diff
ferent countries in q days trip. The
international angles of an aircraft
wave band may be considered, as well
as military channels.
1t is quite probable that a broader
conception may be placed upon the
old plan for allocating of high power
commercial stations throughout the
world. Advanced thinkers on this
subject believe that the location of
iol Sro nil he
daries of a country is matter for
the particular country to determine.
The international ALLEGATION of sig
nails, such as distress and general
calls, as well as the assignment of
high powered station call letters, will
be discussed, although it is believed
that this matter will continue to be
handled by the central bureau at
Bern. International broadcasting by
amateurs may be considered. as. re-
Gently the amateur has come into
world prominence, and his cab letters,
although national, have. no definite
significance in another country and may
be duplicated.
Expect More Than so Countries.
AS most of the countries of the
world are parties to either the tele
graph or the radio conventions. 1t is
likely that more than so separate
governments will send delegates to
the United States this Fall to partici-
pate i'll the deliberations on radio
regulations.
In October, 1920, about a year be-
fore America in general became
vitality interested in radio, a prelim-
mary radio conference was held in
Washington. where representatives of
Great Britain, France, Japan and Italy
met TO draw up an outline program
for future discussion. Most of the
visiting delegation were headed by
the respective amba and min
listers. and the United States was rep
resented by Undersecretary of State
Davis, Postmaster General Burle son,
Admiral Benson of the Shipping Board
and Walter Rogers
The conferees laid down proposals
under the following subdivisions: The
radio protocol of the peace confer
ence; universal communica ton
union, composed of telegraph and a
radio section; international tele-
graph, radio and cable laws, and i'm
provements in the communication IA
cilities between the five great powers
British Submit General Scheme.
The British submitted a plan for
the amalgam nation of all electrical
communication rules and regula lions
to be submitted to a worlds congress
on communications, which. however,
has never materialized The stand
ardization of stations, licenses and
practically all phases of communica-
ton was proposed, including time
signals, and methods of reducing in
reference. An international alarm
signal system, calculated to call op-
orators not on watch in case of dan
ger signals, was proposed and a new
universal code or cipher system was
outlined
The old international code system,
method of communicating between
stations or ships of different nations,
was pronounced out of date and not
adapted for radio. Provision for
transmitting messages Ineligible to
all operators, regardless of the Ian
guage they spoke, was planned for
use in sea and aerial navigation;
covering damages, sickness, stores,
fuel, meteorology, ship and aircraft
business, and other special needs.
Reecomme ndations for some tech
nical Improvements in communica-
tion services included the adoption
of high-speed printing receivers, au-
tomato transmitters and the multi
pick operation of circuits so as to
handle several messages simultane-
ously.
Although the State Department has