Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01
"Grahan

CaStluk SSSIUS 10 DC RIOWliS
The recent aviation FORUM"
i broadcast from New York is one
J of a number of such discussions
which have been followed by flood OF
, fan mail, in which the writer's ask
eager questions about various details Of
the informal air talk.
I don't see why the radio shouldn't
become sort of national safety valve
with provocative discussions on the air
and the listeners invited to let off all
the steam they want to by gym mail: telea
and PRO Bono Publico" don't get much
Of play in the papers any more. The
chain store, replacing the old corner
grocery, isn't much of forum. and
even the village tavern in these Vol
steadian days Is no longer the scene
Of Ciceronian debates on great public
issues. National indifference to impor-
tant affairs, including politics, is often
deplored. I don't see why the radio
couldn't be used as great sub-soiler
OF the public mind. When I was a boy
the grocery and the post Office used to
stage hammer and tongs arguments
about the tarif-for instance. The
tariff sounds like dry stuff for radio,
but II you put on Sure-enough debate,
with no holds barred and winner take
all, I'm betting old Vox Populi and all
the others would come whooping out
Of their dugouts and get in on it, and
this domain of ours would begin to look
more like the old America. Further
more, 1t ought to be great way to get
at what the country is thinking about.
When I started this printed broad
cast about year ago, my first subject
was the believing loud speaker. blew
of considerable steam about the pest
who leaves his window open and keeps
on blasting through the late hours Of
the hot summer nights. / have given
way to similar outbreaks since then.
Recalling the poets arrow that fell, IT
knew not where" was happy few
days ago to receive the following letter
from j. B. Tillford of Taunton, Mass:
MY Dear Mr.. McNamee:
Last Fall I was impressed by an
article of yours in Southern news
paper about the loud speaker nuisance.
1t most emphatically confirmed my own
views, and on my return from the South
I joined in an agitation for the enact
ment Of State law against such use
Of the radio. Personally I procured the
cooperation of several influential men,
and am happy to believe that my
personal efforts helped to bring about
feel indebted to you, for feel that you
must also have moved others to action
as we'll as me"
AS I thus preen myself over having
helped to start something, I have mis-
givings as to doing it by legal methods.
It seems to me that it would be much
better to educate ourselves than to re-
sort to law-if We could, but maybe We
can't.
The Federal Radio Commission has. 1
am told received flood of complaints
q t6n NJ H-,f
has found that the problem Of police
regulation involved makes it necessary
for regulation to be brought about by
municipal or State activity. I am tod
that virtually no such legislation has
been adopted. If radio users will Just
be sensible and show some considera-
ton Of others 1t won't be necessary. As
l see it, the bulk of our statute books
is the measure Of our shortcomings.
Can't we beat the cops to it by learning
to pipe down at reasonable hour and
by not blasting out into the streets with
the windows open? Regardless of prob
lens Of health and peace, it's a stupid
misuse Of great invention.
With Harry Lauder due to sing today
over a national hook-up, I have re-
ceived several letters asking whether he
will sing "Roamin' in the Gloamin,."
I am happy to pass along the word that
Hoose 'Mank the Heather" and It Love
a LaSsie."
Scotch is great for the radio when
1t Is well done, but not so good when it's
too Scotch. remember years ago, in
the pioneering days, when we were slap
ping together hurry-up programs, we
picked up an ex-stevedore who had been
singing Scotch dialect at a sailors res
taurant on the embarcadero. He had
good voice. but burr like a horse
chestnut We put him on. He sang
string of Scotch folk songs, not a word
OF which was Understandable to us. We
got one fan letter to the general effect
that the program had been fine, except
for the Is minutes of static when Jock
MacGregor was singing.
My general observation is that any
language or dialect is just about as
good on the radio as it is on the stage.
Italian. like the other Romance Ian
guages, is a magnificent singing Ian
guage. Shortcomings Of vocalization on
the radio are as rule inherent in the
language itself.