Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-19
JUDGE DAVIS WINS
L|N!TH|CUM AWARD
Former Solicitor Is Honored
for Book on Radio
Communication.

Judge Stephen B. Davis. formerly
solicitor of the Department of Com
merce and chief radio admin traitor
fo- the past three years under Secra.
tasy Hoover, has been awarded the
Linthicum prize of the Northwestern
University for his recently published
book, THE Law of Radio Communica-
ton" This popular treatise on radio
idws was selected out of over 100
manuscripts submitted in the contest.
II rs unique and has won for him a
medal and a thousand dollars.
Confidently, almost with the an
nount ement of the award, 1t was
learned that Judge Davis had lief. the
Department of Commerce TO become
director and counsel for the joint COM
nlittee of the National Utility ASsnci
atoms, with headqu arters in New
York. The organizations back of this
committee are the American Gas Asso-
citation, the National Electric Light
Association and the American Electric
Railway Association. Radio interests
are not included; in fact, one Of the
interesting points in the judges book
is that radio is not a utility, since it Is
not dedicated to the public nor is !:
open to all from the transmitting end,
of receiving sets.
Named to Conference.
The recent appointment of Judge
Davis to the United States section of
the International Radiotelegraph Con-
ference. which meets here in October,
is another tribute to the work OF this
specialist in radio administration and
the laws which affect this type Of COM
munication.
A section of his book touching on
radio call letters and their uses is of
especial interest to listeners in view
of the recent movement to SUBSTITUTE
names He says: 1.-THE custom of des-
ignating each station by call letters is
a survival of the sea. 1t was much
easier for ship to identify itself, or
TO call another by using combination
of three or four letters than by spell
II = out it's name. A dozen ships might
have the same name, but q letter com.
bination belonged to it alone. The
same principles applied to the shore
stations in a lesser degree, and they
followed the practice.
Nations Divide Alphabet.
"The nations of the world have now
divided the alphabet among them. In
the partition the United States re-
ceived all combinations beginning with
either n or w, and part of those COM
mencing with K, the remainder OF the
KS being split between Germany.
Danzig and Latvia. For this reason
ali stations in this country have COM
binations beginning with one of these
letters. In practice the Department OF
Commerce has, with a few exceptions,
assigned the letter w to stations east
o. the Mississippi River and K to those
west. There is no danger Of a short. |
age of call letters, but it is not always
possible to give a station the combina-
tion it desires.
There has grown up a tendency
among broadcasters to select letters
corresponding to the initials Of the
station owner, signifying its location,
answering to its slogan or otherwise
typifying the station. WGN, WIS,
WAX and WPG are examples, and
there are many others. In broadcast.
ing call letters serve no very useful
purpose. though they are convenient
as a. means of reference and for an
nouncements and become Identified
with the reputation Of the station to
such an extent as to have real adver-
Using value. One station has been
honored by having its letters adopted
as a brand for candy and another as
thu title of garage, which has raised
the question as to whether there can
be title in letters. Can any man own |
the alphabet or a meaningless arrange |
ment Of part OF it,"