Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

below: the Al'TIIDR AND TWO OK THE MANY RCA DISTRIBl'TdRS WHOM HE VISITED ON THE AKRICAN TOl'R, WHICH COVERED THE ITINERARY AT RKlllT. with the United States is corre- spoiuliiiKly reduced. Casablancii is ffi'owinjr even faster than TanKier. Everywhere biiildinKs are beinjf erected, and the I>(>pu!ation is said to have tripled in the last few years. Although the dejfree of growth varies from city to city, all over Africa jrreat expansion is evident. While the airplane made much of this possible, two other factors have contributed to the post-war im- petus. First is the fear of another war and second, lower ta.xes in the colonies than in the home countries in Europe. Iloth of these have at- tracted investment money to Africa from Europe. Tunis, in Tunisia, was the next city visited. This .\orth African area beloiiKinjf to Fiance is ad- ministered entirely from the French viewpoint. This means that it is a protected market for French jroods. and American radios and electrical appliances are not ad- mitted. As lonjr as similar F"reiich Koods lannot compete in a free market because of their hijfh costs. [2S RADIO AGE] American jiroducts are unlikely to be admitted. The only permanent American military cemefary in North Africa is located just outside Tunis, amid some of the ruins of ancient Car- thajre. When landscapinjr and build- ing are comi)leted, it will be an im- pressive and beautiful si)ot. Cairo is only a short nijrht Hijrht from Tunis. Due to increased sales to the dollar area of the lonjr staple cotton for which E^ypt is famous, and to sales for dollars to areas like Japan. Ejrypt is in much l)etter financial shape than in lit-IS. the year of our previous visit. Tourists have also increased greatly in num- i)ers and provide another source of income. The contrast with 191S was even more striking because of the pres- ent atmosphere of normal livinjf compared to the war conditions ex- isting then. Egypt an Iiiiporlant Market As .-i result of all these factors Etrypt has become an important market for American radios and certain electrical appliances. Broad- casting' and Communications eipiip- ment. which form part of the lU'A line, are also lindiii),' an increasin>r market here. Now that Ejr.vpt is an indei)cndent country rather than a protectorate of (^re.it I'.rit.iin. it is shoppinK' in all the world markets and picking the best products, in- sofar as its currency situation per- mits. In Cairo, we viewed the almost completed buildinjr where an KCA .5(t-kw broadcast transmitter will be installed. Located on the edjre of the desert, it is a symbol of the projfress takinjr place in modern E^ypt. Although Ejrypt has a vast area, almost ail of its 16.000.000 people are crowded into the narrow valley of the Nile, and all their food comes from the same valley. In- tensive farmintr methods must be used and the jfovernment is at- tempting, by radio and in the schools, to educate the people and modernize their methods. The next city was .Jedda, in Saudi Arabia. Here the Westerner finds himself in a completely different world. There is practically no green anywhere: all is desert sand and rock. It was Sunday to me but not to the Moslem world. Their "Sun- day" is our Friday. The practicality of the Arab cos- tume appeared immediately. While I was sweating in a suit and sand was blowing down my neck, our Arab friends were comfortable in their loose robes. Their burnooses kept the sand out. Major Income from Oil Before oil was discovered in this area, nearly all of Saudi Arabia's outside income came from the Pil- grimages to Mecca. Today, this in- come is negligible compared to that derived from oil. But the sudden influx of wealth has brought prob- lems as well as benefits. The impact of Western civilization introduced by the oil companies hjis also great- ly affected the country. After centuries of following the same customs, the people do not change their habits overnight; however, radios and some appliances are finding an ev»'r increasing mar- ket. The erection, perhaps this year, of a power plant for Mecca and Jedda will hasten this trend. For years RCA has supplied small communication transmitters and reeeivers to the Post and Tele- graph Administration of the S;iudi Arabian Government. The quality and ruggedness of these units have earned for RCA the respect and 1