Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-24
Engineers See
Wonderful Progress
In.Use of Telephone

New York, March 23.-(AP)-Com-
plete humiliation of space, so far as
human communication by voice is con-
cerned. rs the ultimate aim OF engi-
neers now perfeeting transatlantic
telephone service. They see no insup-
cradle difficulties in the way OF uiti-
! mately being able to talk between any
two points on the face Of the earth.
When this is possible. radiophone
conversations will leap in the seven
seas and system of land wires will
link the terminals to every corner of
the earth. Then secretary of the
navy in Washington may give verbal
orders to the commander Of a feet in
Manila Bay: banker in New York
may discuss a loan with his CORE
spondent in Picking, or a dying man in
Capetown may breathe his last words
into the telephone mouthpiece and be
| heard by his family in Montreal.
Officials of the American Telephone
!, & Telegraph Co. while privately in
dulging in their own ideas of what Hes
, in the direction of one worldwide tel
ephone system, decline to comment
publicly. When they do speak pub
licly it is to tell how great are the
difficulties to be overcome.
The chief difficulty still faced is in
reference. said one official today who
is particularly interested in the devel-
opment of transatlantic service. In
reference includes stale and the
breaking in of European broadcasting
stations. Static is bothersome chiefly
in the summer, although steady pro-
gress is being made in eliminating It.
The present impossibility of con-
versing by radiophone in secrecy also
Is a drawback that is receiving close
attention. Very long distance tele-
phony also is complicated by the fact
that at opposite points on the earth
business hours do not coincide. Diff
fefcnces in language, too are a COM
mercial handicap.
Limitation of the number OF CONVEX
sations possible is one of the greatest
difficulties in the way of commercial
development A long distance tele-
phone cable contains 1900 pairs of
wires over which many conversations
can be carried on at the same time.
Radio facilities have not passed the
stage where more than one CONVERSE
ton can take place, automatically
limiting the revenue and increasing
the cost per conversation.
Experiments have not gone far
enough to demonstrate what limita-
ton distance imposes upon present
facilities nor what expense would be
involved in the construction of a
world wide system of relay stations,
but those concerned recognize that an
enormous outlay would be necessary
under present conditions. Improve
ments in transmission may reduce Or
may increase such cost.
Several improvements made posi-
BILE the recent successful transatlantic
demonstration. In this test the voice
was stepped up" or amplihed one
hundred billion times One hundred
kilowatts was used in the broadcast
ing. as compared to one-half kilo-
watt used by the average broadcast
Ing station. Amplifica ton was ac-
complished with water-cooled, high
power vacuum tubes, similar to those
used In ordinary broadcasting but
much larger. These were over two
feet long. and radiated SO much heat
that it was necessary to enclose them
in four inch rubber hose, through a
stream of cold water passed.
The vibrations used in transmits
sion also differed from those used
elsewhere. The carrier waves have
been; suppressed almost entirely, so
that all impulse sent out are effective
IN producing reception. Instead Of
tneSe Delng TWO side Dands OF cleo
trical vibration, one negative. the
other positive, one band has been
eliminated with the effect of greatly
reducing static.
Fascinating speculation has been
INDUCED in as to the political and So
ella! effects of a world tied together
with a ready means of vocal COM
munication. How great an impetus
would this give toward adoption OF a
common language for the human
race; would it increase or decrease
the likelihood of International fric-
ton by making the world smaller
place by bringing its people closer to-
gether?
These are questions that do not
bother the matter of fact engineers,
who are leaving them to the states
men Of the future.