Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-04
President. Opening Confer
enCe, Advises Against I'm
proper Use of Facilities.
HOOVER ELECTED CHIEF
OF BIG GATHERING HERE
Sixty Nations Send 400 Delegate,
to Meeting In Capital
City.

an ADDRESS at Inc opening session nF
the International Tsadiotelegraph Con.
ference here today. AT the same tins
he declared that the United States,
while claiming the right to be master
of its own Independent development
in many fields, is prepared to make
concessions to speed the development
of the radio.
The President addressed 400 repre-
sentatives of so nations, who gath
cred at the building OF the Chamber
of Commerce Of the United States for
the first meeting of a conference that
will last month and a half. A com
plete new convention to deal with
radio problems. superseding that
adopted at the London conference OF
1915, will be adopted.
Urges Moral Development.
|. Envisioning radio as the instrument
which will enlighten "tfle dark places
of the earth" the President warned
that there must be an increase IN
moral development il its influence is
to be for good.
Like every invention which in
creases the power of man, it may be
USED for good or for evil" he de
clared 1T can serve the cause of
understanding and friendship among
people and among nations, or it car
be used to create i'll will and dissen-
sion. The world will not be benefited
by this increase in the scope Of its
power unless there is corresponding
increase in moral development
The radio promises to be the means
of reaching into the backward por-
tions of the earth which have suffered
from the lack of communication fa-
cilities, President Coolidge said, point
ing out that it's cost is little when com
pared to the cost of other means OF
communication and that it's use does
not even require an elementary educa-
ton of readin and writing. 1t has how
ever, a weakness in the fact that IT.
produces no permanent record for
future consideration,
Increase i'm Scope.
In the last five wars, the President
pointed out. radio has come TO play e.
great part IN the life of the people, in
military defense, in navigation, in
commerce, in education and in musical
and theatrical entertainment.
IAN instrument of such far-reach-
ing magnitude" he said. naturally
regulation and control, to the end
that there may be the most perfect
order and the largest possible uni
formity in it's use and enjoyment"
Urging the delegates to pursue q
rolicy of candid discussion, generous
cancellation and wide cooperation"
he warned that a single nation could
render useless q broad area of sur
rounding territory,
''In many fields our country claims
the right to be the master of it's own
Independent development" the Prcsi-
dent said. 'It cordially comedies the
same right to all others. But in the
radio field the most complete develop
ment, both at home and abroad. lies
in mutual concession and co-opera-
ton"
The dean Of the conference, Count
Henning Adolf Hamilton of Sweden,
replied TO the Presidents address OF
welcome, and nominated Secretary
Hoover, chief American delegate, as
president of the conference. M.
Hoover was elected without opposition.
Reviewing the progress of radio
since the conference of 1915, Secretary
Hoover declared that the rules laid
down at that meeting have now be-
come inadequate. Without successful
new discovery in radio" he said. Eve
shall have such disorder in traffic as
TO greatly diminish it's service TO the
world"
Hoover's Address.
Pointing out thar the 1915 confer
ence limited its rules to radio in rayi-
cation. he touched upon the manifold
new uses to which The invention ha:
been put and declared that "without
international understanding of theSc
extended uses we shall have defeat in
the progress OF this great branch of
communications"
Opposition to one of the proposals.
for the conference was indicated by
the Secretary III his address. This
was the suggestion that the govern
ments consider subjects which con.
Germ them as communicating agencies
ana not simply as governments. The
American delegation is understood 10
oppose any broadening of the confer
ence'S scope 10 include subjects which
might bring in gov yernment regulation
of radio.
Pointing out that this country has
left radio development to private er.
terprlSe and that the situation is
further complicated by the dual sys.
Ici1l Vi E"utTdl ana STATE govern
ments. he said
Il do not doubt that il will become
necessary, in attempting 10 frame an
accord between so many sovereign
countries. TO take into consideration
the varying characteristics OF the
of each, and the Iir1ita-
tions within each upon governmental
action. But with the frank recogni.
ton and full appreciation Of these diff.
ferences-which is bound to result
from free discussion in this hali--with
the spirit of conciliation which I know
will exist. | see no insuperable OH.
stacle to final understanding"
. Air Traffic Regulation.
Secretary Hoover also touched upon
the proposal to ama1gamate the CON
vention of st. Petersburg, dealing with
international telegraph services, with
the international radio convention, He =
urged careful consideration of The
during the conference.
Changing the name of the confer
nnce and OF the convention which II
Is to draw up was also suggested by
the Secretary. He explained that the
words radio telegraph" are no longer
adequate and urged that the confer
snce be called 'The international
Radio Conference" and the conven-
ton. '"rhe Convention OF International
Radio Communication
While insisting that Regulation Of