Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
"Graharn

Il seemed TO me th3t the PUBIC
might well have paid more atten-
ton to the announcement that
, i March IL to Is the League OF
Nations will endeavor to broadcast
messages all over the world in English,
French. Spanish and Japanese. In the
past the League broadcasters have been
able to reach. with good reception. only
two regions, the Dutch East Indies and
the region formed by South Africa,
East Africa and the Southern Indian
Ocean, where. unfortunately, what the
League has to say Is not so important
as 1t might be elsewhere. viii the
League, with its wave length OF 18
meters, be able to blanket the world
with this suggestion Of world unity?
On other occasions I have passed
along the idea in this dispatch that
history might have been much less
muddled and laundering had radio been
perfected in some earlier century TO
check misunderstanding that bring on
wars. It is significant thing that
radio should arrive on the scene stimuli
taneously with the League OF Nations
idea. Especially since the League, what
ever you may think of 1t, seems to be
keen to the vast possibilities there are
in reaching all the worlds millions In o
single instant of time.
OF course, there is still the language
barriers. Messages will be sent frst IN
one language and then in another. We
do not hear much OF Esperanto
nowadays, but isn't 1t possible that the
almost daily progress in short-wave
broadcasting means that world Ian
guage will have to be involved? At the
last world conference at Geneva this
possibility was discussed informally and
do not think the idea Is SO visionary
as 1t might seem at first glance.
In ordinary radio broadcasttng we
receive lots Of requests that certain
things be broadcast IN different IAN
guages. Here in America there are
thousands anxious to learn, whose Eng
lish isn't good enough to permit them
to understand the average lecture. who
want some Ineligible version OF the
vast radio educational and entertain
ment output.
should think that new radio Ian
guage for occasional use in broadcasting
over wide areas or across international
boundaries would be OF great value to
the radio in this progress toward
broader fraternity of the peoples of the
earth. Experts In language, am con-
WINGED, in cooperation with radio
scientists. would be able to work out
new radio tongue. The IS" sounds that
give so much trouble in the "talkles
would, of course, be cut down and the
language would be scientlhcally pulit
with regard to vowels and consonanS
best for radio addition. Such a Ian
guape would be fitted to telephone usage
and to photographic reproduction. In
consideration of the important social
side of modern communications like the
radio and telephone can see nothing
fantastic in the suggestion that wor!o
language be evolved In general world
adaptation to this marvellous acnleVe-
have been informed that some Of
The old die.hards of the smaller and
more belligerent Of European nations
have coHplaired that tho boundary
leaping radio waves are undermining
their jingoistic insularity ana that, IN
the interest Of more vigorous ma
tionalism, some way should DO found
Of erecting international barriers IN the
air. This proposal has obvious physicai
impossibilities and, at the Geneva con-
ference above referred to, the raolo
lawyers, trying to outline structure OF
international law, found this one OF
their most pulling problems.
While there were specific complaints
of hostile or subversive matter crossing
the boundaries, the problem Of interna-
tional censorship was virtually aban-
doned, as inpracticahle and impossible.
and further inquiry showed that the
preponderant effect OF International
broadcasting was enlightening and slim
ulating and tended to nourish . broader
culture and better understanding. It
is interesting to observe THAT the FIRST
opposition came from the more back.
ward nations. and that the League OF