Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03
BALKAN RED TAPE
BLOCKS RADIOL
Young Army Officer Who Won
Heart of Girl on HAM
Stations "ExiIed."
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

Here's q real romance OF the radio
waves. It il q story OF young love,
brought together by amateur radcliffe
first courtShip. to our knowledge, that
ever took place ION the air" For rea-
sons Of diplomacy that will become APP
parent as you read further, the name OF
one of the principals must be withheld.
Loves young fancy must have been
stirring when youthful Helen Malin-
owska, American born, reared In Chi
with her widowed mother. tapped away
at the key Of her amateur radio sta
ton SP3KYL, in PoSen, one summer
evening in 1929.
Got Unfamiliar Call
Like many another I'll, "a the young
lady" amateurs are known, she was
ham for q little chat by Morse code.
1t Is nothing for radio amateur In one
country of Europe to contact Q fellow
amateur in another country to exchange
greetings and while away the time in
code conversation, nor Is It unusual for
American amateurs to talk" across the
country, and even, sometimes, with
hams" on other continents.
Soon Helen heard an unfamiliar
replying. It was an amateur station in
Balkan country not far away. They
chatted an hour or so, agreed to ex-
change the usual amateur acknowledge
ment cards. They decided to try to
raise" each other on the same short
wave lengths the next night.
Atmospheric conditions. ever inter
fering with the short waves. favored
transmission and reception next night,
fhAv RhAffMA l.
oped that the American girl had con-
tacted one Of the few amateur radio
stations In that Balkan country, gta-
ton operated by q 24-year-old army
sublieutenant. They knew they could
not depend upon the vaRaries Of the
ether waves to correspond regularly by
radio, 50 they agreed TO exchange let
tiers.
Letter followed letter, for they never
again were able to hear each others
radio stations, try as they would. Pho
tographs were exchanged. Interest grew,
especially when they poth confided their
mutual hearts desire to make their
future homes in America.
They met at the depot In the city
where the young Sublieutenant was
stationed. It was case Of love a. firSt
sight, though loves young dream must
have gone through many growing pains
their amateur radios frst contacted and
the afternoon more than q year later
when Helen firSt Sl1mpSed her army
officer as she stepped from the train.
They wanted to marry at once. It
seems, however, that the Balkan gov
eminent our hero was serving had, az
he calls it, "exiled" him to q remote
outpost because Of his expressed desire
TO resign from the army. Previously,
his government had prescribed amateur
radio, ordering his station to suspend
operations.
Romance StiH Blocked.
Moreover, inferior officers In that
particular country are not allowed to
marry unless they have q certain In
come. And the pay Of sublIeutenantS Is
VIGOROUSLY low far lower than the
minimum required for marriage. Nor
did either Of them have relatives to fur
n1sh them capital. Helen's mother had
remarked. Her great hope was to re-
turn to America, and now she wanted
to take her beau ideal along.
Not only the obstacle of money,
which 50 far Is still insurmountable, but
the inability Of the young of1cer to re-
sign and await his turn in the Ameri-
can Immigration quota from his coun..
Try, STANDS IN the way OF q union of
these "sweetheartS Of the air" It might
be possible for the Sublieutenant to
buy his way out Of the army; that is.
done In such countries. But, again.
funds are lacking.
All this is told In q letter to the
American Radio Relay League, orRani-
zatton Of United States and Canada
radio amateurs, which Is considering
ways and means Of communicating this
unusual romance Of the air. An ON.
cial OF the league, who will be in Europe
this summer, may investigate the story,
The girl Is an officially accredited
amateur; the details should be checked
up, however, the officials at Hartford
say, before an American angel" is
sought to provide the funds or q cam
pa1gn for funds Is undertaken among
American hamdom to bring the
romance to happy ending.