Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-03
By the Radio Editor.

~HE twins Of visual broadcast
ing-facsimile and television-
which are engaged in a quiet
1 race to be first to offer them
selves for public acceptance,
have come to the fork in the road,
with facsimile well in the forefront.
At least, that is the view Of David
Sarnoff, president Of the Radio Corp.
of America, largest experimenter in
radio.
Facsimile, Mr.. Sarnoff divulges in
his annual report to stockholders, has
reached the stage where now broad
casting service to the homes con-
sistins of pictures. printed matter
and other visual material delivered
via the wave lengths, shortly will be
available as a supplement to audible
broadcasting. Plans already are be-
ing made. he disclosed, to begin regu-
lar facsimile service between Phila-
delphia and New York on the ultra
short waves, for the transmission OF
communications "by the square inch
instead of by the traditional Morse
code method Home facsimile as an
entertainment medium, he indicates,
still presents a number of complex
financial, commercial and operating
problems which are receiving study
Television Discouraged.
Far less optimistic is Mr.. Sarnoff
over the prospects of televiSion, in
spite Of the recent spectacular move
OF Great Britain to install an ex-
detrimental television station in Lon
don. He still views television as a
laboratory infant, growing stronger
almost daily, but facing technical
as well as economic problems that
make its introduction in this country
on q Nationwide basis virtually i'm
possible "in the present state OF the
art"
Referring to the latent possibilities
OF facsimile. or still" picture trans
mission as against the moving pic
ture" transmission which constitutes
television, the r. c. A. chieftain
points out that this visual means has
months in the sending and receiving
Of weather maps, pictures and other
information. Confirming the state
ment In these columns several weeks
ago, he also declares facsimile may
find application in police work for the
transmission between cities of photo
graphs, fingerprints and other records.
A page of business letter size can be
transmitted via radio within a few
minutes.
Mr.. Sarnoff makes clear that his
company Is still engaged in an in
tensive scientific study of televiSion.
The laboratory efforts, however, he
indicates, are guided by the prin-
ciple that the commercial application
Of such a service can be achieved
only through system of high
definition television," which would
make the images of objects trans
nitted clearly recognizable to the OBJ
servers. In that regard he implies
that this stage of development has
not yet been achieved, although much
of the mist that has blurred en-
bryonic television has now been lifted
by the eager scientific researchers.
Viewed, however, from the stand
point of public service" states Mr..
Sarnoff, ''our own studies agree with
the conclusions reached abroad by
competent engineer and public au-
thority. These conclusions are that
sound broadcasting and sound-receiv-
ing equipment comprise the funda-
mental broadcasting and receiving IA
cilities of the Nation, with television
facilities as supplementary service;
that there are no short cuts to the
Inauguration of television, that it must
proceed step by step through the
processes Of research, laboratory de-
velopment, field demonstration and
thence to regular service, and that the
technical program and financial prob
lens involved are so great as to make
1t impractical to erect and maintain
q system Of television on a Nation
wide basis, particularly in the United
States, in the present state of the art "
Referring to the recent report Of
the British Television Committee,
which recommended the establishment
OF experimental stations in England,
Mr.. Sarnoff emphasized that the prob
lem in geographically small England
(about the size of New York State) is
not comparable with that in this
country. First, he explains that the
British understand the limitations of
their project, and that the cost of
this experiment at a single location
in London is estimated at 100000.
And for service limited to half the
population Of England, he brings out,
only 10 stations at this cost would
have to be erected. AS for the lis
tener, the r. c. A. president points