Evening star., 1934-03-04
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.

mally in its so-called "five-year
plan" insofar as radio develop
- ment is concerned, according
to reliable reports reaching
official sources in this country. In
stead of being among the foremost
nations in radio, as the projected
campaign contemplated, it is perhaps
among the most delinquent.
This information is rather shocking
to the radio fraternity in this country,
which has been led to believe from
reports which have trickled out OF
the U. S. S. r. during the last few
wears that the nation was engaged
in an unprecedented radio march OF
progress so as to catch up with the
rest of the world. These reports told
OF scores of giant stations being built
for broadcasting from the Russian
SteppeS to the shore lines; OF millions
of listening centers" established at
street corners, in assembly halls and
in cooperative apartments, and OF
sundry other developments.
Only 81 Stations.
No less an authority than the Soviet
official organ Pravda takes occasion
to bewail the lack of radio develop
ment in the Soviet Union. In an
analysis, recently published in that
journal, it was pointed out that last
Summer there were only g. radio sta
tions in Russia with a total power of
100000 watts In the United States
there are 600 stations engaged in
broadcasting alone. In Russia there
are no networks, no split-second
schedules Programs, of course, are
controlled entirely by the government
Here is what Pravda had to say
about Soviet radio:
"On August /, 1888, there were in
the Soviet Union 81 radio stations
with total power Of over 100000
watts. Yet the utilization of these
facilities is unsatisfactory, and COM
pares unfavorably with the situation
in European countries and America
There at almost any point two OF
three stations can be heard even with
q crystal set, while in Russia there
are many regions where no station OF
any kind, even local, is functioning
Furthermore, both in Europe and
America countrywide broadcasting is
possible, through a number of inter-
connected stations carrying the same
program, using sometimes telephone
and telegraph wires.
1.-The Soviet radio system lacks this
important characteristic of technical
unification 1t also needs special
network of short-wave stations, but
there is not even a plan for this.
Furthermore, construction of broad
casting stations is proceeding very
slowly; the plan for 1888, which called
for 20 new stations with a total ca
pacity of $4,000 watts, will not bt
half completed, and some stations
building in 1881. are not
finished yet.
Declared without Plans.
1.-THE commissariat for communica-
tions is working without plans, and
there Is always some deficiency In the
stations built. AS a result, the sta
tions that actually operate do so with
many interruptions or cannot be
heard even in the near vicinity. Even
the Moscow broadcasting station
(viewed as the national station) has
equipment of an amateur type
particularly the microphones, and the
factory making radio apparatus is in
efficient. There is no rigid control
over this plant or the station, it Is
technically backward, and there Is not
sufficient engineering skill assigned
to improve conditions"
The original radio plan called for
11o%, IS or c
with power ranging from 100000
watts, or twice the maximum power
regularly allowed in this country, to
100000 watts The Soviet Weak Cur
rent Trust, in mapping out the pro-
gram, concluded that super-power was
essential to cover the vast geographic
cal area of the Soviet Union. Because
of the lack Of telephone lines in re-
mote areas, the project contemplated
use of short-wave relay stations as a
means of setting up substitute for
network" broadcasting For COM
munity reception the plan provided
for 100000 receiving points" OF
loud speakers in central locations
which would be fed choice of various
programs picked up by central re-
ceiving stations and relayed to the
speakers by wire. Laboratories were
to be established to turn out techni-
clans by the thousands. Pravda
pointed out that only 100000 re-
oeiving points are in operation, and
that these will be worn out" by 1887
It stated that the first constructive
step to be taken is the setting up
during the next four years of the
planned 100000 receiving points.
AN ELECTRIC EAR" that can de-
"A tect sounds which defy the hu-
man ear has been developed by engi-
neers as an extension of the radio tube
amplif1er. Tiny microphones have
been used for such varying purposes
as finding leak in a municipal water
system and detecting burglars in q
banks vault.
These developments are described
by DR.. Orestes H. Caldwell, former
Federal Radio Commissioner. now
editor Of Electronics, New York.
A million gallons of water was leak
ing away daily in an Ohio town, he
said, yet the leak could not be ascer-
tanned in the underground system.
"A microphone amplifier survey OF
the surface was begun" he said, land
carried throughout the town, listen
ing for any trace of this leak Finally
in the middle of Main street. evidences
of leak were found. The water
could be plainly heard gurgling there
underground. But the water supply
maps showed no mains whatever al
this point.
Excavations were begun, and al
the digging proceeded, the sound Of
the leak became more distinct At Q
depth Of is feet below the surface
the workmen came upon an old for.
gotten spur OF the Waterman sys-
tenn fhrnIIQh which the leak WA,