Evening star., 1926-09-14
POPE TO GET RADIO
SECRECY INVENTION
Broadcasting Free From Un-
! wanted Tuning-|n Work
! of J. H. Hammond. Jr.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

The worlds first so-called secret
operation" hroadcasting system is
about to he installed al the Vatican.
In Rome. II is the invention of John
Hays Hammond. jr.. young American
wireless wizard and son of John Hays
Hammond. world d-famed mining engi-
neer and resident of Washington.
: Mr.. Hammond. jr.. went TO Italy
early in the Summer for the purpose
Of rigging up the system. When it
Is In operation the Pope will he able
to communicate by radio not only to
any predetermined" special destina
tea or audience, but do so without
the possibility Of outsiders listening
IN"
Arran gements for eQuipping the
holy see with Hammonds invention
are understood to have been made
through Cardinal O'Connell of Boston.
although when this writer applied AT
the cardinals office for information
knowledge Of the Vatican brOadcasting
station was disclaimed. Mr.. Hammond
resides AT Gloucester. on the North
Shore Of MaSsa chuSetts where his
towering experimental radio mastS are
conspicuous features OF that pic
tureque countryside and sea shore.
Patented In 1923.
The inventor describes 8 one Of he
primary objects Of his invention the
transmission of radiant energy where
by secrecy of operations may be main
tanned and interference avoided" Of
fcially entitled "a system for the
transmission and reception of radia Mt
energy" il was patented in the United
States Patent Office on August I. 1923.
Mr.. Hammond has been working on
. his idea incessantly since he filed his
original application for patent in Feb
ruary. 1918 His latest improvements
were patented in April, 1926.
The phase of the Hammond system
that will enable its operators to fix
definitely the point of reception is
technically set forth by the inventor
In L. S. Patent No. 1,463,994, as fol
lows:
"A selective system wherein a plu-
rality Of wave trains or series Of waves
are simultaneously emitted in such a
manner that there will he a pre-de-
fermined difference in phase relation
ship between different series or trains
of waves. and wherein the plurality
of series or trains of waves are selec-
lively received by a receiving system
In such a manner that receiving de-
vice. forming part of the receiving
system. is caused to operate only as
result of the predetermined differ
ence in phase of the received waves"
Ultimately May Talk to L. s.
In practice. according to Mr. Ham
mond's underlying claims. It will he
possible for the Pope to sit in front
Of the miCrophone in his private suite
Al the Vatican. select the particular
invisible COn2recat tion 10 which he
wishes 10 broadcast pontifical mes.
sage, and he assured that such an
audience will he the only one able to
tune in on it,
Friends 10 whom Mf Hammonds
10 Italy understood that the Vatican
installation Is no. in He'd TO permit
Immediate papal asting over
excessively long dist The Ham
mond system is said q provide
for secrecy Of operat. between.
say. Rome and points in Italy several
hundred miles away. like Milan. Ven
ice or Genoa in the north. or Naples
Salerno OF Reggie To the south
Eventually. and theoretically. there
will he no reason why the Pope should
not hold confidential communication
with Roman Catholic faithful in the
United States or any other part of
the world accessible by radio.
V. L. Fabian. a we'll known Wash
incton radio scientist, informs this
writer that Hammond's invention has
long excited the lively interest of
wireless students. "On their face"
SAYS Mr.. Fabian, "the claims made
for secrecy Of operations seem in
credible. Yet radio progress is so
renl3 rk able that the contentious of