Evening star., 1939-12-09
R.C.A. Asks Retention
Of Frequencies as
Defense Measure
Points for Telegraph
Communication to
Australia Sought
By WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.

Retention of radio point-to-point
telegraph frequencies by licensees
who have held them for period OF
years without making commercial
use of them is most important in
the national defense, Maj. Gen.
James G. Harbord, former head Of
the service of supply in the Ameri-
can Expeditionary Force and chair
man Of the board of the Radio Cor
poration of America, told the Fed
eral Communications Commission
yesterday.
Gen. Harbord testified r. G. A.
radio stations had been located with
national defense in mind. and that
it was for that purpose that he was
originally selected to supervise the
r. C. A. program.
At the same time, the commission
was informed by William A. Winter
bottom. vice president in charge OF
Radio Corporation Of America Com
munications, Inc, that British doml-
nation has prevented his corporation
from gaining contact point IN
Australia for use of the freQuencles
allocated to the organization in 1881.
The hearing was before Commls-
sioner Frederick I. Thompson on
the matter of renewal of licenses
for the three frequencies for use In
point-to-point telegraph between
the United States and Australia.
No Direct Communication.
At present, it was said, there Is
no direct communication between
the United States and Melbourne
and Sydney. Messages to and from
this country to Australia have to
go by way of Montreal or British
Columbia. AS a consequence they
are subject to all the delays in
volved in relays and to scrutiny
during periods Of conflict.
Soon after the licenses were
granted to r. c. A. c., the Amerl-
can corporation entered into con-
tract with the Consolidated Wire
less of Australia, Ltd, for contact
stations at Sydney and Melbourne
The service was not established,
however, because about month
after the contract was signed new
committee was formed. which set
up a communications policy for the
empire.
The general purpose of this was
to direct traffic over British sys-
TENS, But it appears that within
the last IL months the policy has
broken down, and there is a belief
that within a short time steps will
be taken which will permit the
Australian company to establish
contact with the American stations.
It was pointed out that If the
frequencies were withdrawn from
the company now, the impression
would be gained that the United
States was turning It's back on its
nationals in the matter OF COM
munications.
State Department Interested.
Col. Manton Davis, vice presi-
dent in charge of the legal division
of r. c. A., told the commission he
had been authorized by the Secre-
tary Of State to inform it the State
Department was deeply interested
in this service. He suggested that
it might serve q useful purpose If
the commission before acting on
the matter would contact the State
Department. ...-.--
The r. c. A. oficials insisted that
the national defense matter was an
important part Of the hearing, and
was one of the main points which
the commission must take into con-
sideration under the public interest,
convenience and necessity part OF
the Communication Act.
Short of general invasion Of the
country, Gen. Harbord told the COM
mission, It would be impossible to
destroy the radio communication
system Of the United States. During
the World War the German cruiser
Emden destroyed the trans-Pacific
cable which handled commrnica-
tions between this country and
Australia. =.