Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-15

now IN opefotson Iook IKE tHc'
volved. photoelectric cells would
scan the material and convert 1t
into electrical impulses sent out
on a wire or wireless circuit. Min
utes later the letter would be
reproduced on a machine at a
receiving point miles away.
The idea for this revolutionary
type Of mail service has been
bubbling around in Washington
for several years. Late in 1854,
President Eisenhower appointed a
committee to look into 1.-THE
Cabinet Committee on Tele-
communication, Policy and Or
ganization, headed by DR.. Arthur
Flemming. at that time chief Of
the ONCE of Defense Mobilization.
Though the committees report
was not released. it is understood
to have recommended that the
Post Once Department make use
Of facsimile mail.
Unfortunately, the report came
at an inopportune time; the Pres
ident was recovering from his
heart attack and some important
business had to be postponed
DR.. Flemming was told by the
White House to delay matters
until the President could appoint
a big name" committee, outside
Government. AS far as is known.
such a committee was never ap-
pointed.
It's Being Considered
In spite of this. the idea of
letters by electronics has been
observation-disclosures the Post
Office'S research and engineering
section. In October, 1856. Post
master General Summerfield in
speech before the Nations post
masters made this statement:
I'VE are shortly starting STUDY
of the electronic transmission OF
facsimile messages which could
mean the almost instantaneous
relaying of a letter across the
continent"
The research and engineering
division confirms that 1t is work
ing on the idea" But so far, 1t
has not gone beyond the "explora-
tory stage" Engineers have dis
cussed the method with trans
mission companies but no actual
experiment has been set up in
the postal system and no esti-
mate of costs are available.
The Post once has just begun
TO seriously study and attempt to
replace laboriouS hand methods of
stamping. sorting. sacking and
transporting mail with a few ma
chimes.
Postal volume has risen 20 per
cent in just the last six years.
But. generally, mail handling
methods Of 100 years ago are
still in use. Placed in the old
fashioned, unmechanized atmos-
phere Of a postal system that still
depends mainly on the labor Of
men to perform its work and ID
now considering adopting ma
chimes that have been operating
in some European systems for
years. facsimile mail sounds fan
tastic.
Other snags catch at the idea.
too. Post once engineers say that
the future Of facsimile depenNs
on economic factors. To the de-
partment which has an operating
deficit of 50 million day. renting
telegraph or phone lines for an
average of SO a mile plus buying
or renting the many machines
necessary for q facsimile network
sounds outlandishly expensive.
Question OF Acceptance
There is hesitation, too. about
whether there would be public
acceptance of this method of
mailing. Though a facsimile ma
chine does not photograph let
ter, 1t does reproduce its contents
"a fact some might consider to
be an invasion of privacy And
unless widely accepted, the orig
inal expense of installing fac
simile could not be justified
On the positive side of the pic
ture, Post Office engineers say the
method would be q definite adj
vantage In quickly moving mail
between big cities. Here. where
the greatest amount OF mail is
hanhed. the present postal sys-