Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
RADIO RESUMES
ORDERLY ROUTINE
Wireless Has Played Impor-
tant Part in Political His
tory During Campaign.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

Echoes of the r1onentous inaugural
broadcast having died away, American
radio stations are turning to local talent
and to the more or less routine chain
programs to hold their radio audiences.
What the next great event for report
ing over the Nationwide networks VIII
be cannot even be coniectured. But
nothing Of the same prodigious proper
tons as the political conventions, cleo
pioneering or inauguration is on tap for
the immediate future.
Radio is now so firmly fixed as an
audible reporting institution. however,
that the years of the Hoover admins
tration and after will doubtless always
find the nlicrophone on hand when any
big event is occurring. Certainly prac-
tically all presidential addresses will be
broadcast, and the country is already
assured of more and more pronounce
mentS from its statesmen via the radio.
President Hoover probably will show
no aversion whatever to having micro
phones placed before him when he
makes public addresses Former Presi-
dent Coolidge was never deeply inter-
ested in radio, but his frlendliness to-
ward the new medium of conmunlca-
ton and his appreciation OF It's value
are evidenced by the fact that he spoke
no less than 90 times over national net
works during his five years IN the
White House.
Radio Naturalization.
Without doubt radio has thrown the
spotlight upon the National Government
as nothing else has done in the century
and a half of American national exist
ence, Perhaps the greatest impetus to-
ward this radio Naturalization was
given when the political conventions
Of the two parties were fully reported
from the convention halls at Kansas
City and Houston. The political cam
paign and the inaugural have only
served to stimulate interest.
Radio waves will continue to carry
verbal light on the National Govern
ment's workings through weekly talks
on the political situation over the
Nationwide chains. The most dist1n-
guished efforts out OF washington lI ON, IN
the ensuing months will be the forum
on national affairs which The Evening
Star is conducting over the Columbia
Broadcasting System every Saturday
night and the senatorial discussions be-
ing conducted over the National Broad
casting Co. network every Friday night
The Federal administration OF radio
itself will be called to President Hoover's
attention almost Immediately, for the
Senate adjourned without confirming
the appointments of Arthur Batcheller
and Prof. C. NJ. Jansky, jr., to the va
cant places on the Federal Radio
Commission.
The present three commissioners are
proceeding with their business as best
they can. Their docket consists chiefly
of hearings between broadcasters, but
the most important impending hearings
are those on the short waves allotted to
the American press, scheduled for
Thursday, and on the ALLEGATION OF
wave lengths to aviation next Monday.
May Get Recess Terms.
President Hoover has authority to ap-
point the Coolidge selections for the
commission again for recess terms.
Their combinations and salaries will
await the decision of the special ses-
sion of Congress in April or the regular
session next December. He will prob
ably do this, for the two appointees are
engineers, and the commissions chief
handicap at the present is lack OF
technical talent in its body.
The question prevails. however,
whether the two men can afford to &C
cept the posts, and they probably viii
them he will try to push through their
confirmation at the forthcoming special
session.
Bethuel M. Webster was appointed
Soday to succeed L. G. Caldwell, re-
signed. Mr.. Webster, a native OF Den
yer. comes to the commission from the
Department of Justice, where he was
personal assistant to William j. Dono-
van, retiring Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral, and where he prosecuted many
antitrust cases.
The new chief counsel is only 20 years
old, but his brilliant legal capacity i'm
pressed the commission when he assist
ed in handling several radio cases. He
Is a 1922 graduate Of the University OF
Colorado and was graduated in law
from Harvard University in 1925.
Radio short waves, whose potential
uses were wildly demonstrated to the
radio audience during the plane-to
ground relay which carried descriptions
Of the Hoover inaugural over the net
work systems, played peculiar antics
when used to relay part Of the inaugu-
ray ceremony to the audience OF the
British broadcasting network. Trans
oceanic atmospheric conditions made it
impossible to carry the breakfasts very
clearly, and the British audience was
unable to hear President Hoover very
well until he began to speak Of prohibit
ton enforcement in his inaugural
address.
Music of the United States Marine
Band was also heard fairly distinctly at
times, according to radioed reports from
Sir John Reith, managing director Of
the British Broadcasting Co., to NJ. II.
Aylesworth, president Of the National
Broadcasting Co.
(Copyr!ght, 1929 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance0