Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-07
CABLE TO PERMIT
OVERSEAS RADIO
New Line Under Atlantic May
Result in Exchange of
Programs.
By MARTIN CoDEL.

casting programs on regular schedules,
long promised and awaited, may be
made fully practicable through the me-
diuln of new telephone cable that
soon may be laid across the Atlantic
by the American Telephone & Tele-
graph Co. Such cable would be the
first in existence for transoceanicteleph-
ony, the Bell laboratories of the A.
T. & T. Co. having only recently dis
covered a new magnetic alloy making
undersea telephony possible.
DR.. Frank B. Jewett, president of the
Bell laboratories, is now in Europe with
Lloyd Espenchied, in charge of the COM
pany's transoceanic radio telephone de-
velopment, to discuss the proposed prof.
ect with foreign communications ad-
lninistrations. David Sarnoff, general
manager of the radio corporation, which
is the chief stockholder in the National
Broadcasting Co., is also In Europe on
mission whose nature has not been
disclosed.
Their trips may be mere condolences,
as may be the fact that Owen D. Young
and Newcomb Carlton are also in Eu-
rope at the present time. Mr.. Young.
chairman of the board of the General
Electric Co., Is the man who fathered
the transoceanic radio telegraph sys-
Radio Corporation of America. He also
Is responsible for the beginning of chain
broadcaSting in the United States on an
organized basis. He Is in Europe, of
course, primarily as one of the Ameri-
can experts on reparations.
Plan New Cables.
Mr. Carlton, president of Western
Union, Is said to be abroad to confer on
cable-radio communication matters and
also on the proposition of laying new
high-speed telegraph cable to England
within the next few years Such a
cable, laid so soon after the high-speed
permalloy cable installed last year by
Western Union from Newfoundland to
the Azores would be final proof that
the highest communication authorities
are convinced that radio, with its natu-
raj limitations, Is not going to do away
with cables for transoceanic services.
Information gathered from high OH
Gals Of the A. T. & T. Co. reveals that
the plan for the first subsea telephone
cable in history grows out Of the dis
covery of "perminyar." new mag
netic alloy, whose name Is derived from
the words permanent" and 'invari-
able" This alloy is to be applied to
new and replacement telephone lines
within the country to improve the
quality Of conversational services. It is
also applicable to undersea telephony,
hitherto technically impossible over long
reaches.
The project does not contemplate
abandonment Of the present transatlan-
tic radio telephone, over which tele-
phone subscribers throughout North
America may now speak during certain
hours OF the day from their home or
Office phones to persons in nearly every
country Of Europe within reach Of q
telephone.
Free of Static.
The submarine cable would supple
nent the short and long wave radio
services now offered. but would have
the advantage Of keeping conversations
free at all times from the vagaries of
the sunset dip" over the ocean and the
accompanying variations of static and
fading that sometimes shut the service
down for several hours at time.
The economic basis Of the cable, of
course. would be the conversational
services. The company officials are
convinced from their experience with
the radio telephone. installed only two
years ago and now carrying consider
able traffic, that more facilities will be
needed In the near future for the grow
ing number Of European American tel
it is understood, would be unlike the
multiple telegraph circuits available in
an ordinary telegraph cable In that only
one voice could be carried over it at a
time.
It's advantage, however, will be its
utter dependability, where radio is sub
tect to so many uncomfortable varia-
tons. Moreover, additional cables can
always be laid. The expense of laying
submarine cables runs into millions, but
1t is significant that the A. T. g. T.
few weeks ago authorized a long lines
construction program during 1929 cost
Ing nearly S82,000,000, with $42, 0o0, 900
OF this sam to be spent on extending
long distance land and water cables.
Short Waves Uncertain.
Short-wave relays Of broadcast pro-
grams from the United States to Eng
land and from England to the United
States have been subject to all fiuctua-
tons OF long distance transmission by
radio. Efforts to schedule such pro-
grams have usually failed to be carried
out on account Of the distortions due
to magnetic storms over the ocean
with their static and fading. 1t would
be altogether practicable over an under
sea telephone cable to link the British
or other European studios with these
IN the United States, just as land lines
now link chain stations In this coun-
: try.
The present efforts Of the big figures
IN the world of communication distinct
ly reveal that American cables and
:adio must work In harmony in their in
ternational services, particularly in view
of the consolidation of those two meth
DDS of communications which are now
taking place in the British Empire. Both
are here to stay, neither to displace
the other. The radio has inherent eco
nomic advantages, but the cables have
Inherent service advantages.
The transoceanic telephone cable prof.
ect has not led the A. r. & T. to the
abandonment or curtailment Of its pro-
posed radio telephone service to South
America. Another short and long wave
station like the one on Long Island
which connects this country with Eng
land and thence with continental Eu-
rope, Is now being constructed at Law
renceville, N. j. Within the year, it Is
expected that long distance telephone to
Buenos Aires, and possibly to other
cities Of South America, will be ready
to operate.
(Copyright, 1929, by North American News
paper Aliiance)