The Washington times., 1939-01-27
CAPITAL GETS
VIEW OF SELF
BY TELEvISION
House Leaders Heard
and Seen in Test
By KENNETH M. ELLIS

By KENNETH M. ELLIS
Washington today saw the eyes
OF the world opened to viStas that
stagger the imagination.
At II o'clock this morning 1t
was demonstrated that the woods
man in the forest-the diplomat
in his Study-the reporter at his
deSk-the housewife in her home
can at the same instant see and
hear actions Of world import.
TELEVISION A FACT
Such events as the fall Of Bar
celona-Ghe fight on legislative
programs - the Worlds Series
the conclaves Of the learned-fire
flood disaster and education
all these will within few months
become the commonplaceS of
world scrutiny-for televiSion is
now a proven, demonstrated fact!
Promptly at IL o'clock, Gordon
Hittenmark, NBC announcer,
stepped in front of the microphone
and television camera, placed on
the sidewalk in front of the De-
partment of Agricul Aure build
ing to announce that W10XAP
would show what the world has
been waiting for-televiSion that
works.
EVEN BREATH VISIBLE
His frosty breath was as clearly
visible to the far-distant watchers
as though they had been on the
windy street beside him. The
movement of his lips was such
that lip-reading was possible as,
against the background of the De-
partment building, he introduced
as the first official speaker over
the broadcast apparatus, William
Bankhead, speaker Of the House
of Representatives. Representa-
tive Bankhead, cold in the biting
wind that flapped the skirts of
his overcoat, his hands thrust
deep in pockets, stepped before
the televiSor and said:
"I am very happy to have the
honor to be chosen as the first
guina pig in this remarkable
demonstration. It is inspiring
to realize that the perfection
Of this mysterious and remark
able invention has been
achieved, and that soon 130,-
100000 people will be able to
make use of it,"
HISTORY MADE
That was the first statement to
be made over modern television
from the Nations Capital.
The Speaker ventured the opin-
ion that if television is installed
in Congress, it will make many
members "take their feet off their
desks. t-'vF7 X a..
Passing automobiles, the vapor
from their steaming radiators, the
expressions Of the drivers, the
wide eyed glances of sidewalk
passers-by, all contributed to i'm
press the spectators with the diff
ference between this and repro
ductive" presentations such as pic
lures. The television is clearer,
freer from Photographic diStor-
tions Of light, and removes much
of the Self-conSciousneSS inevitable
in photography Of any sort.
RAYBURN, ROGERS HEARD
Sam Rayburn, of Texas, House
majority leader, expressed a hope
that the spectators in the National
Press Club were more comfortable
than were the official partici-
pants in the. initial televisaction,
but Representative Edith Nourse
Rogers, introduced at another
microphone by an NBC represen-
tative, expressed the sentiment
that the weather was not unlike
her own New England winter, and
she liked it.
The click of a telephone inStru-
ment in Hittenmark'S hands as he
lifted the receiver was perfectly
reproduced, and the intimate
nuances of fleeting expression in
all who stood before the televisor
caused ripple after ripple of eX-
cited comment in the darkened
room where the first audience
stood spellbound-not by the pro-
gram-but by its possibility.
DAILY DEMONSTRATIONS
The demonstrations will con-
tinue in the Press Club Building
every day from II a. m. until $3.50
p. m, for five days.
The inevitable camera fiends
were present at the scene of the
broadcast, taking snapshots, and
blissfully unaware that they were
adding to the enjoyment Of the
studio audience.
Representative Joseph w. Mar
tin of Massachusetts, concurred in
his fellow New Englander's opin,
ions on the weather and with
Speaker Bankhead's view that
television would have little effect
in altering the legislative opinions
or actions of the Congress.
c. w. Farrier, televiSion CO.
ordinator of NBC, said the devel-
opment of televiSion would aug.
ment rather than destroy the
purely vocal radio.
DID, nkA~~GLa 0I