Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-02
j. S. RADIO MERGER
CARRIED TO HOOVER
Harbord and Behn Call on
President in Interest of
Consolidation.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April 2.-Gen. James
G. Harbord, president Of the Radio
Corporation Of America, and Sosthenes
Behn, president of the international
Telephone 81 Telegraph Co., visited the
White House yesterday, carrying to
President Hoover the details Of their
accord regarding "the desirability Of q
consolidation of their communications
interests and a tentative plan under
which 1t may be accomplished when
the law permits"
Their trip represented the beginning
of veritable hegira Of high commune
cations officials toward Washington
that may be expected in the succeeding
months for conferences with Govern
ment leaders on the proposition Of
merging this country'S international Ca
BILE and radio facilities for the purpose
of facing the British merger in the i'm
pending world communications struggle.
Among others who will probably go
to Washington are Owen D. Young,
chairman of the Radio Corporation OF
America, now in Europe working onthe
problem of reparations; Thomas w.
Lamont, partner Of j. P. Morgan & Co.,
also in Europe with the Preparations
Commission; Clarence Mackay, whose
telegraph and cable companies recently
merged with the International Tele-
graph & Telephone Co.; David Sarnoff,
general manager of the Radio Corpora
ton Of America, and Robert D. Merrill,
president of the All-America Gables.
Mr.. Merrill recently had tentative dis
cussions with the former Secretary Of
State, Frank B. Kellogg.
Need Consent of Congress.
Many interpretations have been
placed upon the accord" statement
issued jointly by Gen. Hartford and Mr..
Behn as the result of the leak of in
formation from abroad regarding the
willingness Of the International Tele-
graph & Telephone Co., with its afflli-
ated telegraph, telephone and cable
interests, to acquire the worldwide
wireless system of the Radio Corpora
ton Of America at a reputed cost Of
$100,000.000 to $120.00o,000. The fact
generally overlooked, however, is that
the consent OF the Government, more
particularly of Congress, must be OBJ
tanned to bring this about.
The accord is merely preliminary to
campaign that must be waged to re-
peal or amend section IT of the radio
act, which specifically prohibits any
cable-radio merger, whether national or
international, among American commu-
nicationS interests. It was to this end,
and particularly to impress the Govern
ment with the trade and strategic i'm
portance of the British unifcation Of its
vast cable and radio interests, that
Gen. Harbord and Mr.. Behn paid their
preliminary visit to President Hoover
1t remains to be learned whether the
Presidents views coincide with those
Of the communications leaders. Few
Americans know the problem Of inter-
national communications as well as
President Hoover. and it Is anticipated
that his advice will be followed by Con-
gress whether he affirms or negates the
proposals to unity the American sys-
TENS. There is no doubt that Newcomb
Carlton, president of Western Union,
who is not in the picture at the pres
ent time, will be among those consulted
later, in view of the large cable trafic
handled by his company
A major change in law such as the
communications men propose will not
be effected in the impending extra ses-
sion Of Congress unless the admins