Evening star., 1939-09-27
Radio. Orders 10 Ships
Al Sea Described BY
Witness forF.
Member Of Newspapers
Receiving Stoff Tells
Of Copying Messages
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.


Radio orders from the British
and German governments to their
ships at sea on August % and 80,
which are alleged to have been
broadcast by Station WMCA of the
Knickerbocker Broadcasting Co. in
New York City, came to the New
York Herald Tribune between inter-
rupted press messages that were
being copied by that papers radio
receiving staff. it was testified today
before the Federal Communications
Commission.
The first witness in proceedings to
determine whether the license Of
the New York station should be re-
voked on the charge of broadcast
ing an addressed message was Stan
ley Wolf, who said he was the chief
radio operator of the New York
Herald-Tribune, which furnishes
press material to WMCA. He ex-
planned that the Herald Tribune
had a number Of receiving sets, but
no transmitting station.
Mr.. Wolf told the commission that
he picked up the messages after Will
liam j. Dempsey, general counsel of
the commission, had warned him
that he could stand on his constitu-
tional rights and refuse to answer
Mr.. Wolf declined to answer, but was
directed by Chairman James Law
renee Fly to respond to the ques-
tions, which gave him immunity
from possible prosecution.
Statement Is Ruled Out.
When Donald Flamm, owner of
the station. took the stand, he
sought to read prepared statement.
Chairman Fly said the time for
filing statements had expired Sep
tember Is and he ruled it out. When
counsel sought to question Mr..
Flamm on the facilities at WMAC
Chairman Fly said that they were
not involved in this inquiry.
In opening the inquiry Chairman
Fly said that it should be under
stood that no party was entitled to
hearing In matter of this nature
In this case, however, he said, the
commission thought it would be
helpful to make thorough investi-
cation and conduct a hearing prior
to action in the case. A revocation
is subject to hearing.
Mr.. Wolf told the commission that
the messages to both German and
British ships were in the dot-and-
dash code. He added also that the
message to the German ships was
IN the German language and had
TO be translated before used. He
explained that at the time the
messages were received free press
messages were being copied from the
British and German shore stations.
In the case Of the British sending
station, he said that the oficial
press messages were INTERRUPTED for
the purpose Of sending the order,
70 the ships. In the case of the
German orders, he did not recall
whether a press dispatch was inter-
rupted, but he did say that 1t came
IN the course Of press schedule.
NOT sure as to Address,
Chairman Fly questioned the wit
ness at some length in an effort To
determine whether he had copied
actual orders to the British and
German ships or whether it was a
press notice telling that such Or
ders had been issued Mr.. Wolf said
that he believed that they were
orders being broadcast to the ships
However, he wasn't sure as to the
address on either message. He said
that when the press dispatch was
interrupted, that there were no call
letters sent out by the station, and
he just considered that they were
addressed to all ships, in the case of
the German dispatch. He said that
the British message on August 80
came from an official government
station which sends free press mat
ter regularly for any one to COPY.
He said that the Herald Tribune op-
orator was copying such matter from
the British station when interrupted
for the message to ships.
While he said the message was
addressed from the British admiral
ty to all British merchant vessels,
he did not consider that 1t was an
addressed message, the contents of
which the law prohibits the use Of
except by the addressee.
The Communications Commission
rested Its case with the presenta-
ton of Mr.. Wolf Counsel for
WMCA said that it would have
four or FIVE witnesses to put on