Evening star., 1928-11-22
RADIO CONFERENCE.
TO SEEK SEA SAFETY
London Meeting Will Empha'
size Necessity of Wireless
On Ships,
BY MARTIN CODEL.

Radio will play leading part in the
conference on safety of life at sea
called by the British government IN
London in the Spring of next year The
Vestris disaster, occurring with anothel
vessel unequipped with radio only three
hours sailing distance away, has SerVec
to emphasize the extreme Importance
Of this conference to the world OF radio
All the maritime nations, especially
those that were parties to the interna-
tional convention of l913-l4, Will Seno
taeir best qualified men on the techni-
al administrative and legislative -
pacts of navigation. An American
delegation of experts. including the Ma
tons leading experts on wireless, was
authorized by the last Congress, but the
measure failed to reach President Cool
idge in time for a"nroval before ao-
iournment.
Assuming that the bill will again be
cassed and approved, the Governments
leading authorities have been meeting
with non-governmental experts for pre-
liminary work on American proposals
at the conference. Commissioner OF
Navigation A. j. Tyrer declares that In
this way the delegates to be named by
the President will have technical ad-
viSorS able to help them present prac-
tical proposals looking to higher stand
ards of safety with the least possible
rest and hardship to the travelling pub
lie and commercial interests involved.
New Radio Laws Needed.
American radio officials are agreed
that some of the old laws relating tc
lad aboard seagoing vessels are ana
chroniSms. The law, of the sea has moi
,-ept pace 18th new deve'N"ments ii
hoannnS r26if
compasseS. These were unknown be-
lore the war. the time of the las
treaty relating to safety of life at sea
Moreover there have been multitude
Of improvements in ordinary apparatus
that are now regarded as standard need;
Oh ships
The international radio ,elegrar-, con.
vention of last year. effective January
/. 1929, has established, new standards
Of ship radio installations, but it re.
mains for another treaty to declare
what ships must be radio equipped. The
how of the problem is more or IL
settled; the who" must be dictated by
another set of laws. The VeStris Situa-
ton has given rise to question whether
the governments should not tighten ur
the requirements for radio aboard
vessels.
The small ship sailing along or
three hours away from the VeStris anC
entirely unaware of the distress Cal
carried no radio because it's crew num-
bered only around 80 men. The o.c
international law demands radio in.
StallationS on all merchant vessels of the
contracting parties II they have so o.
more persons on board, whether pas
Sengers or crew, or both. 1t apple!
only to ships plying between the port:
of different nations.
United States Laws Strict.
The American navigation laws are
somewhat Stricter, requiring radio in.
Stallation ii the vessel carries SO o.
more persons. regardless what ports i
touches. This requirement is imposed
on all ships, American or foreign, thai
put in at American ports. The British
have law about radio that is basec
on the gross tonnage of the ships. The
problem of standards will doubtless
come up at london.
Another problem the American ex.
perts are not overlooking in consider
ing radio as an integral part of mari
time safety measures is that Of equip
ping aircraft flying over great bodies
Of water with radio. It will be pro-
posed at London that no plane shall be
permitted to take off for a tranSoceaniC
fight without radio annaratus and g
qualified operator aboard
This Government may press this
point, In view of the many disaster:
which have overtaken such flying craft
ant notwithstanding that Lindbergf
and Chamberlin carried no radio OF
their successful flights. The UniteC
States Navy regards a radioless plan'
flying over water as virtually useless
81 IA
planes.
(Copyright, 1928, by North American
Newspaper Alliance.)