Evening star., 1926-05-23
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

Although the use of radio at sea
was the first practical service visual
lied when radio communication was
developed, little concerning this phase
Of radio Is known today nor Is the
international accounting method gen.
orally understood.
When considering radio. the aver
age person thinks first of broadcast
reception and probably next OF install
lations on ships, which bring to ms
mind radios Incompatible value In
the safety OF light and shipping at
sea. According to ii. F.. Coulter.
chief of the United states Central
Bureau, however. radio has a very
high social and commercial value and
its use in this respect during the last
few years has increased to an ex'
tremely large proportion.
Discussing the basic points OF the
international methods, MIR. Coulter
pointed out that. aside from determin-
ing international methods, one OF the
main purposes of the international
radio convention in London in 1872
was to determine methods by Which
any radio station, ship or shore, par
ticipating in q commercial radlo trans
mission, should receive its pay .or
service rendered. The London con-
yention, therefore, made each nation
responsible for the ships under its
racistry. in order to obviate the
Necessity of other nations collecting
their charges from various private
sources.
Tn order that a coastal radio station
receiving a message from ship might
identify the ships nationality, call
Ietters were assigned in three ana
four letter groups. the first letter OF
the group Identifying the nationality.
For example, the United States was
assigned the lettersfK. n and w. a
coastal station receiving q message
from a ship using a call beginning
with any one of these letters wouio
automatically identify 1t as under the
maritime registry of the uhlteo
States.
;ts head Office sends a bill TO the
nroner Office Of the nation which reg
isters the ships with which 1t mas
handled traffic. The station itemlzes
each message from ships Of that ma
ton and shows the amounts due IT
FOR it's coastal service and any
charges which accrue for telegraph
or cable relaying beyond Its station
to the message delivery point. Inc
coas at stations also list the credits
due the ship for messages accepted
70 addresses on board, and a net set
tlement is effected by the creditor
nation. The balances in practically
every case are in favor OF the coastai
service, as the greater number OF mes
sages are sent from ship to shore.
The monetary units OF different ma
tions are not universal and, In tact,
many of these currencies nave no
fexibility. In 1875 at st. Petersburg.
consideration was given to the use Of
a currency which would fully compen-
safe eachh telegraph system for the
services it had rendered. Considering
the wide fluctuations which might
take place within the various none
tarv systems of different countries,
the convention determined to use the
gold franc. Therefore, all accounts
are stated in gold francs, each admin
istration notifying other administra-
tions through the central clearing
bureau at sBerne of the value in its
currency which 1t will collect in set.
tlement. This custom was found to
be efficient and it was embodied in
the London radiotelegraph conven-
ton.
This gold franc, Of course. does not
roalIy exist, IL lH thc uiAt VI AAlSA AIo-
tional finance and circulation in radio
accounts, being worth approximately
10 $40 cents, United States currency.
An example will probably make
clearer the method by which this
franc is used: Assuming that the
French administration accounts to the
United States for 1000 gold francs.
the equivalent of which in United
States currency Is $19S. the United
states would collect approximately
S193 on the account. However. when
settlement Is about to be made to
the French administration it will be
impossible to purchase gold francs,
and assuming the value Of the paper
franc to be about cents on the date
the exchange is purchased the French
administration would receive by draft
the gold equivalent in approximately
the sum of $500 francs.
Since the United States is a sigma
tory to the London radiotelegraph
convention, to which convention over
80 nations are adherents, it maintains
a central bureau or clearing house,
under the Bureau Of Navigation, De-
partment of Commerce. This office
receives these radio accounts from
the other nations and collects on their
behalf, the amounts which ara due