Radio Broadcast (May-Oct 1922)

128 RADIO BROADCAST The prediction enunciated in the following paragraph of the Government's radio policy, as established by President Roosevelt in the year 1904, may therefore be said to have been fulfilled: " Because international questions may arise, due to the fact that the use of wireless-telegraph stations in our own possessions may affect the use of similar stations in foreign countries, it is desirable for the Congress to enact legislation which will enable the Government properly to handle such cases; failure to do so may seriously embarrass the Government at some future time." ^ These incidents served to empha j^^k size the urgent necessity on the part ^^^m of our government more clearly to l^^^M establish its radio policy and to en l^^^al act suitable legislation to effectually ^P^jB cope with abnormal conditions. ^^^B Upon our entrance into the World War the Sayville and Tuckerton stations were seized by the Alien Enemy Property Custodian, their operation, of course, being continued in the Government service by the Navy. All non-government owned radio stations were promptly taken over by the Government and their maintenance, operation, protection, and administration entrusted by Presidential Proclamation to the care of the Navy. Immediate steps were taken to improve not only the ex-German Sayville and Tuckerton stations but also the American Marconi's highpower stations to make trans-ocean communications by radio really effective and reliable and to meet the greatly increased requirements for trans-ocean communication as a result of our entrance into the war, and to provide an emergency means of trans-ocean communication in the event of the cutting of the cables by submarines, a contingencf^ which was by no means regarded as remote. Subsequently the Navy entered into negotiations with the American Marconi Company and also the Federal Telegraph Company, and, as a result, the Government purchased all of the Marconi Company's coastal medium and low power stations which included those situated in Alaska. It also purchased similar stations of the Federal Telegraph Company in the United States and the I^awaiian Islands. As a consequence the Government obtained ownership of practically all shore radio stations situated within American territory, with the exception of the Marconi Company's high power trans-ocean stations located at New Brunswick, New Jersey, Marion, Mass., Bolinas, California, and Kahuke in the Hawaiian Islands, thereby making our position as regards radio in connection with the national defense more secure, regardless of possible future legislation, as well as eliminating duplication of stations and ameliorating the exasperating problem of interference. The only remaining feature of the situation which did not conform to the long established ■ radio policy of the Government, "^^^ especially as regards possible future ifcs. embarrassments with respect to our i^fisi status as a sovereign state, was the I^^Bl remaining practical ownership and HB^HI direction, by other than United B^Ur States citizens, of the American ^^K' Marconi's high power stations situated within the United States and in the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. It was obviously impracticable for our government to operate high power radio stations for exchanging communications with commercial stations situated in foreign countries, as a business venture, although the operation of such stations situated within the United States and in our outlying possessions for serving our Atlantic, Pacific and Asiatic Fleets had always been and is now, regarded as essential for military reasons. The only logical solution of the problem therefore was to encourage the formation of a strictly American radio commercial company to take over the Marconi high power stations situated within American territory. Negotiatiojas were undertaken therefore with this end in, /iew, and, on April 7, 1920, the Radio Corporation of America, a 100 per cent. American concern, came into existence, this corporatio taking over the entire interests of the former Marconi Company, and incidentally assuring to our country, in conjunction with the existing extensive Naval radio stations, supremacy of the "ether" r in other words, supremacy in the wireless service of the world. The supremacy of America in this respect will be appreciated when it is understood that it has required more than twenty >'ears of patient study, investigation, experimentation, and trial to develop the radio art to its present stage where not only ordinary radio communications between ship and shore can be reliably carried on, but where trans-ocean communica