Evening star., 1935-09-08
By the Radio Editor.

NdAlpoA6ll 4lloLOIy. cNcu
though the presidential election is
more than a year away. there are
signs of new activity in both Demo-
cratic and Republican National Com
mittee headquarters, with radio
speech1naking again destined to carry
the brurt of the campaigning load.
With the election of Harding in
1920, radio was introduced to poll
tics. That was the year in which
Observation-Disclosures broadcasting was
born. KDKA, Pittsburgh, on the
night of November g. 1920, broad
cast the election returns Of the
Harding-Cox contest. This broad
cast was not only the genesis of po-
1itical broadcasting, but, more i'm
portant, the birth of broadcasting as
an industry.
In the Coolidge-Davis campaign of
1924 radio played an important role
in bringing in the returns, but was
used only slightly for actual campaign
ing. But in 1923, during the Hoover
Smith contest, radio really came into
its own, because the network method
of broadcaSting had been introduced
two years previous to the campaign.
It was found that radio, requiring a
far different technique than the soap
box or rostrum, was an effective in
strumentality of political campaign
ing. More votes were cast during that
election than in any other. Herbert
Hoover, regarded as rather poor con-
ventional type of campaigner. worked
wonders over the air with his even,
measured phrases, while Al Smith, a
past master at the art of fire and
birthstone oratory before an audience,
didn't do so we'll before microphone,
where arm swinging and offside re-
marks do not register with the un-
seen audience.
IT WAS during the last campaign
in 1932-when radio assumed
major proportions as an electioneering
medium. Franklin D. Roosevelt, always
imposing on the rostrum, proved him.
self master of radio oratory. One
million dollars was spent by the two
major political parties in their radio
campaigning. and radio time, valued
at like figure, was donated to the
two parties. 1t was actually a polit-
ical battle via the wave lengths, for
Hoover found himself pitted against a
campaigner who was even more adept
in his radio technique.
Advance indications are that the
forthcoming campaign will see radio
used even more extensively. President
Roosevelt naturally is expected to rely
upon radio even more than he did
four years ago. AS President, he has
made greater use of the air than any
appearances, featured by his half
dozen "hreside chats" have COM
manded greater audiences than any
other features on the air.
In addition to the presidential
campaigning to begin early next year,
there will be the congressional elec-
tions. Whereas the presidential cam
paigning will be done largely on the
Nationwide networks, State Office
seekers will rely largely upon local sta
tits or Statewide hook-ups. To in
wade remote places, the electrical
transcription method of recording
speeches for delayed broadcasting un-
questionably will be resorted to more
than ever before. That is because of
the increased popularity of transcript
tions, plus the fact that this mode of
transmission has been improved tech
nically almost to perfection.
THE Republicans have been the first
to lay their plans for the oncom-
ing campaign. Last June Thomas G.
Sabin, sales manager of Station WBZ.
Boston, was named radio director of
the Republican National Committee
Since then he has been arranging
political addresses by party adherents
and quietly has been laying plans for
the heavy campaigning next year. In
advance of the national conventions
next year., when the party standard
bearers will be named, the actual
campaigning will not begin. In the
meantime, however, the byplay deals
only with the programs, policies and
accomplishments of the two major
parties, with the minorities sounding
of every now and then.
The Democratic National Commit
tee, headed by Postmaster General
Farley, it is learned, already has be-
gun drafting its campaign plans The
board of strategy comprises Farley
Emil Hurja, vice chairman of the
committee, and Charles Nicholson, its
director of public relations. In the
campaigning in 1882 Herbert L. Pettey,
secretary of the Federal Communica-
tionS Commission, was the radio di-
rector of the committee, and handled
all radio engagements and arrange
ments. He assumed the Government
post following the elections. 1t is
likely that Pettey will leave the F. C.
c. to return to- the committee post,
perhaps for the duration of the cam
paign.
p ADIOS role in another war; should
it come. Is a natural subject Of
speculation in military and radio cir
cles these days, particularly In the
light of its various uses in the recent
American Army maneuvers at Pine
Camp, N. Y. The report, too, that
the great radio inventor, Marconi, has
perfected an ultra short wave death
ray" that can put airplane and motor
car ignition systems out Of commits
sion-and the announcement that
Marconi himself Is going to join Italy'S
forces in Ethiopia as director of COM
munications-also have focused at
tention on the way radio will make
the next war even more horrible by
making it so much more efficient.
Every military chieftain admits that
the enormous advances made in ra-
dio since the World War will require
many changes in modern methods of
warfare. Even in the World War,
radio guided transport ships across
the seas, discovered the whereabouts
CT U-boats so that not single Amer
lean vessel was sunk, provided con-