Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-31
COURTS MAY NEED
COURSES IN RADIO
Many Stations Are Likely to
Appeal Decisions of
New Commission.

Before the ether lanes can be en-
tirely cleared of interference due to
Illegal and improperly operated radio
transmitters, it may be necessary for
members of the bench and bar" to
take a short course in practical radio.
After the Federal Radio Commission
succeeds in reallocating the broadcast
channels and relicensing those stations
which provide real public service, it
may be difficult for the Department of
Commerce field radio force to enforce
the decisions and regulations of the
commission through the courts. There
seems little doubt that many dis
gruntled broadcast station owners, and
probably some prospective operators,
unable to secure permits to broadcast,
will carry their cases to the courts in
an effort to override the authority of
the commission. This Is. of course,
permissible, but unfortunately the
legal profession, including many
Judges and States attorneys, is not
vet we'll acquainted with radio. Many
of them haven't even the simplest
knowledge Of it. They don't know
wave length from a call letter or
watt from g. kilocycle.
In some cases this lack OF knowl-
edge has lost the Government cases
against radio wrongdoers. In one in
stance taken to q Southern court the
radio supervisor had good case
against an unlicensed and obstreper-
GUS transmitting set which had been
running radio broadcast reception IN
certain locality. Everybody but the
judge Of the court and the prosecuting
attorney knew about the case and
wanted the operator silenced, but, al
though the culprit was under bond
and indicted, the judge finally threw
the case out of court. This was chiefly
because he didn't understand anything
about an abstract radio wave and the
limitation of evidence in connection
with it.
Radio evidence is hard to get and
harder still to bring into court. 1t
isn't as simple as in prohibition cases,
where the evidence may be handed to
the Judge to taste or smell. The super.
visor or inspector can't show the judge
the unlicensed station. Perhaps the
Governments radio officer can't prove
to the court that an operator was
using wave length to which he had
no right and interrupting the broad
cast listeners. You would have no
trouble convincing technical radio
man or perhaps a listener, IL you teSti
fed that the offender was transmitting
on 220 meters, which is, Of course, in
the broadcast band; that you listened
TO his station and measured his wave
length on your wave meter. Your
statement would also be accepted or
dinarily that you heard the defendant
transmitting code on an amateur wave
and using the call letters Of another
amateur No one versed in the ordi-
nary parlance or practice OF radio re-
ception even would expect you to
bring the usurped wave length or the
false call letters into court, and yet
this is virtually what Supervisor of
Radio Walter Van Ostrand of Atlanta
was asked to do by a judge, who subse-
quently dismissed the case against an
amateur for. lack of proper evidence
and because the indictment was drawn
up enormously.
Mr.. Van Ostrand had aided the
local States attorney to the best of
his knowledge of law, and strove his
best to convince the court of the
offenses the amateur had committed.
This, and other efforts to enforce the
radio laws before courts, Is convinc-
:. Inc. that eithersnthe. legal profession
must make a quick study OF radio
or the radio police officers will have
TO take pos-graduae course in law
or at least in evidence, il the rulings
of the Radio Commission are to be en-.
forced successfully. Most Of the
United States courts know there is a
radio law now; probably the judges
have all read 1t, but some of the
judges and prosecutors need a better
understanding of radio and its intan-
gible qualities. some of which make
the presentation Of radio evidence diff
ficult.
Devotees of the little white pill"
which when clothed in its proper
and formal dressing is known as a
golf ball. will be interested in the
program of the Cliquot Eskimos to
be broadcast tonight by WRC in
conjunction with other associated
stations of the red network" of the
National Broadcasting Co. The scene
for this program is laid at a golf
club on its opening day, with the
members OF the ensemble, acting as
guests of the committee, staging
"housewarming, and playing various
instrumental selections for the enter.
tstnment OF guests. The latter part
OF the program will be featured by
dance music.
Two other WRC features, the Elmer
son and Kit hours of music, will
come from its studio. Esther Cutchin
4 concert pianist, win be the soloist in
the Kilt hour. Vocal and instru
mental soloists and an orchestra will
provide the Emerson program.
Three popular Washington radio
entertainers. Les Colvin, Phil HAYDEN
and Gertrude Kreiselman, will take
prominent parts in the three-hour
program scheduled tonight by WMAL.
Miss kreiseln1an has been absent from
the microphone for several months
Dorsch's Dough Boys, Ted NeweIl's
Band ana Mirmiam J.. Steward, con-
tralto, and Clarence Coloord. cornet
list. and Glenn Coloord. trombonist
viii furnish WMAL's other musical
features
scientific talk on icebergs. IRE.
pared by Science Service, win open
WMAL's program at o'clock. There
also VIII be a talk by III. e. Morgan
or the Civil Service Commission on
the work Of the Children's Bureau of
me Department Of Labor
static returned to the wave lengths
last night after a long and welcomed
absence. but it only reached that
feeble stage where il is ANNOYING and
not destructive of broadcast signals
reception conditions generally were
good. Signals came through with a
ar degree of volume and there wa
little evidence of fading. Best recen.
ton, it seemed. was obtainable from
stations in the North
CNRO, Ottawa, and CNRM. Mon.
re2i. linked for "A joint broadcas ST