Radio broadcast .. (1922-30)

RADIO BROADCAST Alexanderson alternators of the General Electric Company's manufacture, and the establishment of a 5oo-kilowatt power transmitting station at Annapolis, Maryland, and a corresponding station, but of twice this power, or 1,000 kilowatts, at Croix d'Hins near Bordeaux in France. Poulsen-Federal arc transmitters of the Federal Telegraph Company's manufacture were installed in the last named two stations, these two stations being the most powerful radio stations projected in the world at that time. The Navy was charged with the full responsibility for all matters pertaining to radio after our entrance into the war, with the exception of strictly Army communication matters, and very close cooperation was maintained with the Army, as evidenced by the fact that the Navy took full charge of the construction of the i ,000 kilowatt station in France to insure the maintenance of rapid communication facilities for our Expeditionary Forces in France in the event of the cutting of the cables. The Navy therefore had available to it the combined radio engineering talent of the entire United States, and too much praise cannot be given to the civilian radio engineers for the services rendered the Navy in this emergency. As a result of the abnormally rapid advance brought about in the development of the radio art, as a consequence of the exigencies of war,and with the consequent production of new and improved apparatus and the inauguration of improved methods, the General Electric Company was found, upon the cessation of hostilities, to possess the ownership of a large number of the valuable patents covering modern radio apparatus, such as the Alexanderson alternator or transmitter, the vacuum tube transmitting and receiving equipment and the photographic recorder for automatic reception of radio traffic at high speed of say 200 words per minute as distinguished from the normal average hand sending speed of 20 words per minute. The British Marconi Company, having previously enjoyed possession of ownership of the most valuable radio patents, were tardy in their research work, as they apparently felt that they enjoyed a monopoly in this respect, and need have no fear of a competitor. It was apparent however that they suddenly became convinced that if they did not get hold of certain General Electric patents, either the patents themselves or the license right of them, they would be unable to compete long in modern radio, because it was obvious that a company having the improved apparatus covered by these patents could cut in on them seriously, and perhaps drive them out of the field. Negotiations were entered into with the General Electric Company by the British Marconi Company following the war with a view to effecting the purchase of several million dollars' worth of the improved apparatus, information to this effect becoming available to the Navy Department through the ordinary trade channels. When I heard of this impending deal, I became convinced that the whole future of American radio communications was involved, and it was my conviction that the Government's established radio policy would fail utterly if any deal was made which would give the British Marconi Company the sole rights to these patents or would give them a chance to get the first out-put of this modern apparatus from the General Electric Company's factories, because if they acquired the apparatus and had time to place it in service, no other radio company could catch up with them, and it would be impossible to interest American business men in the establishment of a strictly American commercial radio company, owing to the tremendous power which the British Marconi Company would have acquired. The situation appeared to require immediate action, and, obviously, some degree of secrecy was essential. On April 3, 1919, Admiral Bullard had but three days before arrived in Washington and taken up his new duties as Director of Naval Communications in the Navy Department, but as yet had had no opportunity to familiarize himself with the situation when the writer, accompanied by Commander George C. Sweet, United States Navy, now retired, went to him and laid the whole situation before him, with recommendations that a conference beheld with the directors of the General Electric Company. As a result of this conference, it was decided at once to get into touch with the General Electric Company by long distance phone with a view to arranging a conference in which the entire matter could be laid before the directors of the Company from the Navy's point of view.