Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-01
HARBORD TO FIGHT
FOR MERGER PLAN
Radio Corporation President
Convinced That Wire-Air
Combine Is Necessary.
BY JOHN r. SINCLAIR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

BY JOHN r. SINCLAIR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. June 1,-Gen. James G.
Hartford, president of the Radio Corpo-
ration of America. is a determined
fighter. He left the United States
Army. after rising to the top, to enter
private business, Immediately following
the war.
The Radio Corporation needed a
leader to fix the attention of the coun-
try on a new industry. Gen. Hartford
took the work, and has accomplished
all he set out to do, and more. But he
is thoroughly dissatisfied with the stu
alton AS it now exists. He believes the
laws prohibiting the merging of the
wire and the wireless companies in the
United States, If continued, constitute a
serious challenge to the radio supremacy
of the United States.
He goes even further, and says that
the question is of greater Importance to
the Nation than the question OF oil or
merchant marine supremacy.
Great Britain, on h other hand,
knowing the Importance communica-
tions play in the problem of national
hClCliGIs has lIOS OIlly RCl AlAbbSA IA
has co-operated in the formation of a
holding company which takes in the
principal communication rivals in Great
Britain-the Eastern Telegraph Co,
Ltd, representing cable, and the Mar
conf Co, representing radio. The gov
eminent, too, is represented on the
board.
Listen to Gen. Hartford on this new
British tie-up:
11-l.-.z .-sIY I-z.ll. L. a~~t -. -
principal city on the planet which will
not be reached by British communica-
tons. American trade in every quarter
OF the globe cannot but be profoundly
affected, The time when Great Britain.
France, italy and Germany are uniting
radio and cables seems to be the time
taken by our country to keep them
apart. What others unite to win leader
ship in communications, we divide"
Then what should be done, General,
to meet this world competition in COM
munication?"
THE first thing is to amend the
White act of 1927. which prevents the
wire and the wireless companies of the
United States from joining hands. That
is the all-important first step"
George F.. Baker, S~9-year-old dean of
New York bankers, chairman of the
board of the First National Bank. at
tended the meeting of the board of the
Mutual Life Insurance Co. this week
and found a surprise. The meeting
was turned into a Baker celebration.
with David F. Houston, who succeeded
william Gibbs McAdoo as Secretary of
the United States Treasury, and who
now is president of the Mutual Life
Insurance Co., as master of ceremonies.
Mr.. Baker has been a member. of
the board of the Mutual Life more than
so years. 81 years longer than any
other trustees. A life-siZe portrait Of
Mr.. Baker by Frank o. Salisbury, the
English painter, was unveiled and will
hang in the room used by the finance
committee, of which Mr.. Baker has
been an important member so many
years.
Probably no man in modern times
has been closer to the big movements
of business and industry than this
elderly but vigorous New York finan-
cier. He went on the board of the
Mutual a short time after the Civil
War, just about the period when 1.-The
Nation had struck its stride" From
that time on his history has been well
known.
Still in splendid health, Mr.. Baker
attends numerous meetings Of numerous
DOdIQS every WGGk III view 1OIh Hin
finds time also for a little golf.
Edward A. Filene. public spirited Bos-
ton merchant, keen international stu
dent, successful business man, has vol
unteered to obtain the funds necessary
to defray the cost of an investigation
by the League of Nations to get data
on the subject of real" wages in Eu-
rope.
A few days ago Mr.. Ford announced
that he was anxious to pay real wages
in all his factories in Europe, and he
asked the International Labor Bureau
at Geneva to get him data by which
real wages could be determined. But
the League has no funds to carry on
special work. 1t will need about $685.
600 for this. Mr.. Filene guaranteed the
funds.
IF Ford can help to bring about the
same change in Europe that he did in
the United States it will mean higher
wages, lower prices, greater total profits
and higher standards of living in Eu-
rope, and as a result, greater world
prosperity and an enormous impetus to
world peace" said MI. Filene.
Before Parker Gilbert sailed from the
United States I discussed this matter
with him, of how European purchasing
power could be widely expanded. An
interesting and basic subject. If it can
be accomplished by giving real wages"
such as Mr.. Ford suggests, the problem
of European debts will become less rela-
tive with the years. If wealth can be
increased in Europe at a much faster
rate relatively than the charges on pub
lie debt, then the problem of debts be-
comes OF minor Importance.