Evening star., 1936-05-05
j. S. RADIO HEROES
KEEP Adds ON AIR
Navy Day Message First
Contact as Americans
Advise Washington.

with something of the thrill tnat
made the spine of Samuel F. b. MORSE
tingle when his telegraph worked, tour
naval radio men in Adds Ababa last
October 2s-Navy day-got this mes
sage through the ether from wash
ngton, $500 miles away:
NAVAL detail, American Legation,
Adds Ababa, on this Navy day: Wen
done and best wishes"
The quartet had just established,
under the utmost difficulties, STATION
NCO in the American Legation at
the Ethiopian capital. Since then
one of the four has been returned,
III, to this country. But the three
originals and a replacement are the
gallant heroes who since Saturday
have been keeping the sound waves
between Ethiopia and the United
States humming with words on the
progress of the sacking of the city.
Chief Radioman Walter e. Tanner,
Radioman (First Glass; John L. eau
then, Radioman (Second Glass; Cecil
F. Cavanah and John w. Anslow
sailed from New York September l8
for Adds Ababa to make 1t possible
fdr the State Department to maintain
two-day communication with Ethlo-
pia.
Radio Overburdened.
1.-The existing commercial radio ia
chities were meager and grievously
overburdened," Tanner and Lieut..
Cpmdr. ]. J. Hughes wrote in the
March issue of United States Naval
Institute Proceedings.
The radio pioneers reached Adds
Ababa october IA after a ride from
Dlibouti on a railway which, accord
ing to Comdr. Hughes, Operates like
King Edwards radio-Let others tell
Of rain and showers, only record the
sunny hours" 1t Travelled only during
the day.
,"Our gear arrived the next day
from the railroad station" Tanner
Kfote in letter to Our Navy. Brook
lH publication. I'VE we're unable to
start work on the outfit because the
only rooms available were under re-
pairs. There were no floors, no cell
ings and very little else. Labor being
as slow as the seven-year itch, the
rooms weren't finished until the 23rd
Of October
While the easy-going Ethiopian
worknen took their time about max
ing the house ready, the four naval
enlisted men slung their sealegs over
saddles an6 learned to ride horseback.
"You've heard of the Horse Ma
rines,'" Tanner wrote, "but we believe
we're the first Horse Navy"
Antennae Completed.
"On October 10 the erection of the
antennae was completed and the
equipment was moved into the place
which had been prepared for it,"
Comdr. Hughes writes. 1.-TWO type
Writers were furnished by the legation
as well as some needed chairs and a
highly appreciated kerosene stove for
heat during the intensely cold nights
Of Adds Ababa."
The whitewashed, mud-walled house
in which MOO was set up to keep
the United States authorities informed
of what was happening on the African
front contains a Navy clock set for
Ethiopian time, seven hours ahead of
Eastern standard time, and cheap
desk clock bought in Adds Ababa and
set for Washington time
By october 26, writes Comdr
Hughes, MOO was ready. The key
was closed. But then came a great
disappointment. Nothing happened.
Some necessary parts of the trans
mitter were damaged
Finally we hit the air for good
October 30" Tanner wrote the editor
of Our Navy. We've been there ever
since, communicating with Washing
ton every night"