Evening star., 1933-06-18
"SCRAMBLINC" PROVIDES
''PRIVATE LINE TO PEACE
transatlantic Telephone Confuses Mes
sages to Shut Out Eavesdoppers
and Then DECIDES Them.

peace hang on these conversations. For
In the clash of opinions on the confer
ence floor, IN the give and take of con
hicting interests. questions will aris
and the issues in many cases are 81
fundamental that only the heads O
governments can answer.
A New Demonstration.
And SO We may assume that Presi.
dent Hoover's estimate of the value o.
the device as an instrumentality fOl
world peace Is due to receive a new
| demonstration and an added emphasi.
in the conference Of nations now meet.
ing.
There was no such instrumentality al
hand for the peacemakers who watched
the flames Of international jealousies
and intrigues flare into the World Wal
In 1914. There was nothing of this
kind to aid the negotiators OF peace al
Versailles in 1919. Indeed, the first
radio telephone conversation to span
the Atlantic dates as recently as 1926
and the service did not become COM
mercial until 1927.
That 1irst tranSoceanic radio tele-
phone service charged SIS for the
privilege Of a three minute talk be-
tween New York and London. Even at
ience Outgrew the facilities, and by the
middle of 1928 a second circuit was
established. By 1929 two additional
circuits had been opened, making a
total of four lines of communication
between America and Europe, and these
are the present facilities. Thus, four
persons may talk from America to Eu-
rope at the same time. If more apply,
they must take their turn on the wait
ing list
That first transoceanic circuit was by
long wave-and it Is q very long wave
indeed, 5000 meters. To the layman
1t Is difficult to visualize the delicate
overtones Of the human voice as car
ried on a vibration that measures near
ly three miles from wave crest to wave
crest-though, to be sure, this is a
mere ripple beside the 25-mile wave
which the naval radio researchers are
now using. Enormous antenna and
special receivers are required to pick up
these long waves, which means that
there Is small likelihood of outsiders
being equipped to listen in.
When 1t became necessary to add
additional circuits to the facilities, the
engineers turned to the short waves.
There were three reasons for this.
First, broadcasting operations already
had pre-emptied most of the channels
in the long-wave bands of the radio
spectrum, whereas there were plenty of
unassigned channels of short waves,
l. e., those below 80 meters. In the
second place, short-wave transmission
is far more economical in operation,
requiring only a fraction of the power
used in long-wave transmission. FL
nally, the short waves are more easily
and surely concentrated into a beam
and propagated in single direction.
Disadvantage Discerned.
The short waves have this disadvan-
tage. however: They are extremely
susceptible to the influence Of terres-
trial magnetism. During the occa-
sional periods of magnetic storms,
short-wave signals are apt to fade. The
long-wave signals are less vulnerable
to magnetic infiuences-though there
are other atmosphericS which affect
them and do not affect the short waves
The telephone engineers therefore
regard their present setup. with one
long wave circuit geared to 5000 me
tiers and with three short-wave circuits
operating at wave lengths ranging from
18 to As meters, as a good au-round
combination. Under normal condi-
tions all four channels are operative.
When magnetic storms surge through
the earth and the short waves fade. the
long waves can be depended on gener-
ally to get through. And when the
ETHEREAL agitations wallop the long
waves with Senseless static, they gener-
ally permit the short waves to travel
without distortion.
If the connection with Europe Is 10
be made by long wave the operator In
New York uses the radio transmltter at
Rocky Point. Long Island, and the radio
receiver at Houlton, Me. The two sta
tions are 400 miles apart. Thus. as you
talk your words go out from Long
Island and London's response flashes
back via Maine. These big 3-mlle waves
require plenty of elbow room.
For the short-wave circuits there are
also separate stations. The transmitter
is at Lawrenceville, N. j., the receiver
at Netcong. N. j.. 40 miles north. In
teresting features of these short wave
stations are the directional antenna.
The antenna at Lawrenceville are so
shaped, proportioned and placed as to
act as giant ref1ectors, focusing the
radio waves into a beam whose exact
center is aimed at the British receiving
station in Baldock. England. Similarly,
the receiving antenna at Netcong are
so designed as to provide an enormous
radio ear trumpet, whose center Is
pointed toward the British transmitting
station in Rugby. Provision Is also
made at the long-Wave stations to give
some directional quality TO the antenna,
but this is less successful than is the
case with the short-Wave stations. A
coating of ice alters the electrical prop
critics of antenna. So in Winter, When
ever ice forms on the wires, low-fre-
quency current IS sent through them
until the ice is melted.
The American clearing house Of all
transatlantic talk is that new modern
istic building at 80 Sixth avenue. New
York, the home Of the long-lineS de-
Eartment of the Bell system. The Eu-
rcpean clearing house is in London. All
transatlantic messages. whatever their
point Of origin and wherever their place
of destination. must pass through the
twin switchboards of New York and
London Wire networks connect London
with its wireless transmitting and re-
ceiving stations, and similarly New York
is tied by bundles of copper strands
with its radio stations on Long Island,
New Jersey and Maine.
Intricate Apparatus.
But New York and London do more
than serve as hello girls" to trans
Oh ~