Evening star., 1934-12-09
RADIO FORECAST
AS MESSAGE UNIT
Communications Leaders
Paint Fantastic Picture
Before F. c. c.

Before F. c. c.
BY SOL TAzSHOFT.
-RANsFoRMATIoN Of world
communication from . man
Of copper wires and submarine
l. cables to an invisible network
o6 radio stations performing
feats OF Transmission virtually un-
dreamed Of In the past Is presaged BY
the guiding geniuses in these fields.
An almost fantastic story Of what
the future holds for communication
eenefally has been unfolded before
the Federal Communications Comn1is-
sion, now delving into the problem Of
reviying this industry, which since
1870 has been suffering severely from
deprsssed economic conditions. Means
Of co-ordinating development Of ultra
modaTn methods Of communication by
radio without completely destroying
the stupendous investments In cable
and wire telegraph systems constitutes
the basic issue.
Before the telegraph division Of the
r. c. C. paraded such figures In the
communications realm as David Sar-
non president Of the r. G. A., with tta
globe -girdling radio communication
circuits linking some two-score foreign
countries; Col Sosthenes Beln, presi-
dent Of the International Telephone d
Telegraph Corp, which invades
virtusIly all corners Of the earth with
It's telegraph, cable, radio and tels.
phone holdings and which also con-
trolls Postal Telegraph; J. G. Williver,
first vice president Of Western Union,
with It's Nationwide system Of tele-
and Charles P. Cooper, operating vics
pSesident Of the American Telephone
Il Telegraph Co., which In the past
few years has gained . substantial
share Of the domestic telegrsphic busi.
mess through introduction Of auto
matte printers.
Monopolies Urged.
These giants In the communications
world were Of one accord in urging
psrmissive legislation whereby mo-
nopolies might be set up In both thu
domestic and international communi.
cations fields; where radio and the
wires and cables could work hand ir
hand In bringing about the phenome.
nal Developments that now lie in the
Laboratories because of depleted reve-
nues due to excessive costs Of com.
petition, and under which the value
Of these services to Uncle Sam in time
Of national emergency would be i'm
measurably enhanced due to CO.
ordinated operation.
II was from David Sarnon, immi-
grant youth who rose to the presi-
dency Of the largest single entity In
the radio held, that the r. @. G. heard
the most thrilling story Of the future
He envisioned the day when telesra-
ply, by means Of radio. will become q
photosrapnic-facsim service, rathe,
than ordinary word transmission. In.
stead Of the present method, he said
IL Il perfectly feasible today to trans
init the exact copy Of . message
written La long-hand BY the facsimile
system, and he predicted that large.
scale development Of this method will
come With ths proper coordination
Of both domestic and foreign commu-
nications.
Even more amazing, however, val
Mr. SaTnof1's prediction that Mr.,
Average American Citisen . few years
hence viii Be- using the radioteiephone
- an indispensable part Of his daily
routine. Simply BY "dialing" this
wireless instrument be win get radio
Long Distance Central" who In turn
vii connect him. either By wire o.
radio oe both, with his party hundreds
Of nailes away, and even across the
- Haslnx u CableA
Both Mr.. Sarnon and Col. Behn
foresaw the day when the radiotele-
graph, with Its far greater speed Of
transmission and far cheaper con-
struction cost, would supplant the
cumbersome and highly expensive
submarine cables. Col Behn, however
held . ray Of hope for the wire tele-
graph systems, in the use Of the
teletypevritsr printers. which recently
came into vogue. He predicted that .
number could be dialed and . mes
sass transmitted on the printer to an
ONCE or simultaneously to . multi
plicity Of offices in all sections OF the
country.
In . nutsiell, the issue before the
p. c. c. ts that Of determining what
new legislation. II any. It should
recommend to the next Congress
toward the objective Of alleviatinl
tbs static condition m the wire and
radio telegraph and cable fields. Cn-
der the existing law, joint operation Of
radio and cable r wire services u
prohibited: on the contrary. the iav
specifies competition. This restric-
tive provision would have to be elimi-
mated to allow the fllEions proposed
at the hearings.
II the views expressed to the r. G. G.
prevail, 1t. IL logical to conclude that
that agency will recommend to Con-
srsas that the existing law be 70
modified a. to allow consolidation,
but probably with rigid provisions for
regulation and supervision. Such q
plan, ~ Q matter Of fact, was dis
cussed BY President Roosevelt prior to
the enactment Of the law which
created the r. c. C. early this year.