Evening star., 1934-11-18
FOREIGNERS STUDY
III. S. RADIO SYSTEM
Lord Selsdon Favors Tax
on Radio Sets to Finance
'TeIeviSion.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

r ILLUSTRATING the internation-
alism that radio breeds are the
unusual number of current Amer
ican visits by foreign broadcast
ing officials. Not only the Euro
pean representatives of the two big
networks, but a British delegation
here to study American television,
British radio commentator, a Swedish
government radio executive and a
noted amateur from the Fiji Islands
may be counted among the visitors.
They came, or are coming, chiefly
to study American program methods
and technical equipment.
Departing last week for his London
post after several weeks in New York
and Washington was Cesar Saerch-
niger, European representative Of the
Columbia Broadcasting System. Still
dividing his time between New York
and Washington, prior to sail ~ at
the end of the month for his 2 ost at
Basle, Switzerland, is DR.. Max Jordan,
continental European representative
of the National Broadcasting Co., and
a former Washington newspaper cor
respondent.
The British television mission, after
having been feted by private and gov
ernmental radio officials in New York
and Washington, is now engaged in
visiting the television laboratories
here to see what American inventive
genius has done in that still expert
mental field. Like many an Ameri-
can radio executive, its chairman,
Lord Selsdon, expresses the convic-
ton that television is about ready
but awaits giant financing before it
can emerge into popular use.
Lord Selsdon, former British post
master general, also believes that the
British system of levying taxes on
radio sets will make it easier TO
finance television than the American
system of sponsored programs. With
him on the tour, which ends next
week, are Col A. S. Augwin and
F. w. Phillips of the British post
office, and Noel Ashbridge, chief en-
gineer of the British Broadcasting
Corp.
The British radio commentator
now on an American tour, during
which he is broadcasting his Amer
ican Points of View" via short waves
back to England, is Comdr. Stephen
King Hall, well known on the British
air. The Swedish official due to ar
rive shortly is T. Elmquist, chief en-
gineer of the radio department of
the Swedish General Electric Co.
The Fiji Island ham," who, with his
wife, is touring America by motor
car on vacation, is Francis Fleming, a
former British war pilot now living
in Suva, where he operates the only
amateur station in the Fijis.
The comments of the American
broadcasting representatives abroad
and of Fleming were particularly
interesting. Saerchinger and Jor-
dan, keen rivals in Europe for the
distinction of getting big names"
and big events on the air to America,
agreed that American radio is far
freer, SO far as freedom and ex-
preston goes, than European. Over
there, they both said, the govern
ments, with few exceptions, guard
the radio systems jealousy, with the
result that, while programs are ex-
cellent, the use of radio for political
and public discussions is practically
negligible by comparison with America.
DR.. Jordan marked particularly the
recent activities of England, Germany
and Italy in establishing beam" or
directional short wave stations
pointed at America to win American
attention to their programs. While
these relays on the short waves, and
the special broadcasts to the Ameri-
can networks of big events or Euro
pean notables, are heard almost daily
in the United States, Europe has
made very little effort to arrange
regular broadcasts from the United
States, DR.. Jordan sid