Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-09
SEARCH Of. FALSE
S 0 S DEMANDED
Commerce Department May
Seek Sender Who Inter-
rupted Reed.

The Federal Radio Commission today
asked the Commerce Department radio
division to investigate the S o s mes
sases which disrupted a chain broad
cast Saturday night by former Sena-
tor James A. Reed of NJ!
IN the Senate, Dill of Washington
charged the S o S call was intended
to stop the broadcast.
Senator Reed was beginning an
attack on the radio trust" he said
Senator Ashurst. Arizona. suggested
In the Senate that Senator Reed be
invited to redeliver his speech within
week
Dill read to the Senate that part of
Reeds speech dealing with the radio
trust and inserted the entire speech
in the Record. He said M. L. Ayles-
worth, president of the Radio Corpora
ton of America. had offered to have
Reed redeliver his speech over the
National Broadcasting chains and had
expressed regret to him over the
incident.
Reeds speech was being broadcast
from Sedalia, Mo, and the interruption
came as he was denouncing what he
termed the radio trust"
The Washington Senator declared
that conditions surrounding the mes
sage were peculiar, If not suspicious"
PerpetratOr Liable.
He added, however, that he believed
that the message, If not bona flde, was
sent by some enthusiast for Radio Cor
poration of America" rather than with
the sanction of officials"
w. B. Terrell, chief of the division,
was asked to make a complete survey
fhrnIl0E q TfvS NJ =
Baltimore and New York. He Is to as
certain which broadcasting stations
closed down and the origin Of the
0 S, If possible.
The radio act provides a maximum
punishment of S., 900 fine or a five-year
prison term or both for circulating O
fraudulent S S.
! An official explanation was issued
today at the Navy Department, follow
! ing an investigation.
The departments statement follows:
"At 1922 pm. Saturday, June Z, a
telephone call was received at the Naval
Radio Station, New York City. from the
supervisor at the Radio Marine Office
OF the Western Union at New York
stating that he had just had a report
from the supervisor at the Radio Cor
parationS station at Tuckerton, N. j.,
that an SOS had been heard at
Tuckerton. No further information
relative to the name of this ship or its
position was at that time available.
Proceeded as Usual.
I'm accordance with the usual pro-
cedure, the supervisor at the United
States Naval Radio Station at New
York Immediately silenced all broad
cast and other traffic in the vicinity Of
500 kilocycles and started searching
that band for further distress signals
Nothing being heard, at $40 pm. the
supervisor at the naval radio station
telephoned the marine office at the
Western Union, New York. and was In
formed that Tuekerton had heard
nothing further. AT 8:43 pm. the naval
supervisor called why Borough of
Brooklyn and was informed that they
had heard no distress signals. At 845
pm. the naval supervisor called W5L
radio Marine Station, New FORK
City, and was informed that they had
heard nothing.
"At 8:48 am, nothing further hav-
ing been heard, the naval supervisor
issued orders to resume tfaffic. but to
keep a close watch for possible dis ress
signals. The total lapse of time, IS
minutes, is not excessive for expected
distress calls"