Allocation of wave lengths according to the plan of Prague, becoming effective June 30, 1929-Continued 1 The U. R. S. S. did not participate in the Washington conference. 2 The use of these waves, which are situated in a band not allocated to broadcasting by the regulations annexed to the Washington convention, is authorized, provisionally, under the express condition that stations using these waves shall not interfere with the services occupying this band. (See art. å, par 1, of the Regulations.) The wave length allocated to Hungary will be brought back into the band allotted to broadcasting at the earliest favorable opportunity. Exclusive wave shared with the reservation that there shall not be any mutual interference. 815 38 819.5 366 824 364 833 30 842 336 851 352 855.5 351 860 349 869 346 878 342 Allocation of wave lengths according to the plan of Prague, becoming effective June 30, 1929-Continued Particularly, the transmission of these stations must not be allowed to make inoperative alarm signals, distress signals, security or urgency signals transmitted on the wave 500 kilocycles (600 meters) and on 333 kilocycles (900 meters). In case of interference the interested administrations will do their best to seek another suitable solution. NOTE. The conference has taken note of the existence of the station of Kaunas (Lithuania), which has used different waves between 155 kilocycles (1.935 meters) and 151 kilocycles (1,990 meters) for broadcasting services. This station having interfered with mobile services carried on by the station at Portishead (Great Britain), using the wave of 149 kilocycles (2,013 meters), situated in the band reserved exclusively for mobile services, the conference has directed the British administration to make suitable negotiations with the administration of Lithuania, with a view to finding for the Kaunas station a wave length which will not interfere with these mobile services. Senator DILL. Is the conference to be held at The Hague to consider international wave lengths; that is, transoceanic wave lengths? Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. Yes, sir; it is to consider an allocation of wave lengths, and the amount which each country should have. Senator DILL. Does the State Department expect to be represented at that conference? Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. We have been invited to be present, and the question of asking for an appropriation is now under consideration, and you may hear more from us on it. Senator DILL. Would it not be highly important for us to be represented at that conference? Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. I feel that it is highly important we should be represented there. I have a copy of the invitation that has been received. I think it might be put into your record. Senator DILL. I think so. Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. It seems to me that we should be represented at that conference, because matters of the greatest importance to us will be considered in the allocation of transoceanic wave lengths. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection the invitation will be made a part of the record. Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. I hand the copy of the invitation to the committee reporter. (The invitation extended by the Netherland administration is here made a part of the record, as follows:) By virtue of article 33 of the Washington general regulations the Netherland administration invites the administrations having adhered to the radiotelegraph convention to the first meeting of the international technical consultative committee on radio communications near the end of next September at The Hague. Meeting will probably last about 10 days. Administrations are requested to telegraph the Netherland office as soon as possible the number and names of the delegates, including therein experts of the national industry and of national enterprises mentioned at the end of our circular letter of November 19, 1928, to whose admission none of the administrations is opposed. In suggesting the admission of these experts the Netherland office would like to point out that the administrations have the privilege of making up their delegations at their pleasure, and to attach experts to them who do not belong to the State service. Only official delegates shall have the right to vote. Beg you to communicate the invitation to authorized private enterprises for radio exploitation who should give the Netherland administration the number and names of their representatives. All other information will follow soon. The CHAIRMAN. Have you looked over this bill at all? Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. Yes, sir; I have studied it rather carefully. The CHAIRMAN. Have you any criticism or suggestions to make? Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. I noted that it does not say very much about aircraft. There are several places where I think the word "aircraft" should be added. The Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee, which acts in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of Commerce, has made some study of the legislation necessary to give effect to the International Radiotelegraph Convention that was signed here in 1927, and we have made some recommendations along that line, and I should like to file them with the committee. Senator DILL. In the form of amendments to this bill, would they be? Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. I think they would have to be revised somewhat to make them fit in with this bill. The CHAIRMAN. Then, we would prefer for you to revise them and present them later for the record instead of putting them in now in an informal way. (The amendments recommended to bill S. 6 by the Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee, and later furnished by Mr. Vallance, made a part of the record at this point, are as follows:) Report of subcommittee on policy and legislation (adopted at meeting of interdepartment advisory committee held on June 12, 1929) The subcommittee on policy and legislation of the interdepartment radio advisory committee met at 2 p. m. on Monday, May 27, 1929, to consider the changes in Senate bill 6, introduced by Mr. Couzens on April 18, 1929, to conform to the Radio Convention and general regulations signed at Washington November 25, 1927, and to make other suitable changes. In considering suggested amendments the subcommittee was guided by the recommendations previously made as approved by the full committee to bring the radio act of 1927 into harmony with the above-mentioned convention. The following changes in Senate bill 6 are hereby recommended: Page 13, section 6 (b), line 14, add "or Navy" after "Army." Page 13, section 7 (a), line 25, insert "and if undue interference will not be caused to any transmitted or receiving radio station already existing" after the word "thereby." Page 29, section 20, line 8, add “and aircraft" after "ships." Page 29, section 21, line 24, add "and aircraft" after "vessels." Page 30, line 1, add "or aircraft" after "ships." Page 30, section 22, substitute wording, (see section 24 of Report of Subcommittee on Policy and Legislation dated November 19, 1928), as follows: "When fixed stations carry on an international service of public correspondence, either from country to country or with stations in the mobile service, they must conform, respectively, for each of these two classes of communications to the provisions of the International Radio Convention and the general regulations annexed thereto, signed at Washington November 25, 1927. "With regard to communications between stations participating in the mobile service, stations carrying on such communications must, within the limits of their normal operations, exchange radio telegrams reciprocally without regard to the radio system adopted by them. "In order not to impede scientific progress, however, the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not prevent the eventual use of a radio system incapable of communicating with other systems: Provided, That this incapacity be due to the specific nature of that system and it be not the result of devices adopted solely for the purpose of preventing intercommunication.” Page 30, line 19, to page 31, line, strike out entire section 23. Progress in the perfection of radio apparatus makes provision no longer necessary. Page 31, section 24, line 11, add "or aircraft" after "vessels." Page 34, section 28, change to read as follows: "The President may authorize, unless restrained by international agreement, under the terms and conditions and at the rates prescribed by the head of the department or independent establishment having jurisdiction thereof, which rates shall be just and reasonable, and which, upon complaint, shall be subject to review and revision by the commission, the use of all radio stations and apparatus wherever located, owned by the United States, (a), for the reception and transmission of press messages offered by any newspaper published in the United States, its Territories, or possessions, or published by citizens of the United States in foreign countries, or by any press association of the United States, and, (b), for the reception and transmission of private commercial messages between mobile stations, between mobile and shore stations, between localities in Alaska, and between Alaska and the continental United States: Provided, That the rates fixed for the reception and transmission of all such messages, other than press messages between the Pacific coast of the United States, Hawaii, Alaska, the Philippine Islands, and the Orient, and between the United States and the Virgin Islands, shall not be less than the rates charged by privately owned and operated stations for like messages and service: Provided further, That the right to use such stations for any of the purposes named in this section shall terminate and cease as between any countries or localities or between any locality and privately operated mobile stations whenever privately owned and operated stations are capable of meeting the normal communication requirements between such countries or localities or between any locality and privately operated mobile stations, and the commission shall have notified the President thereof." Page 35, section 29, change present section to paragraph (a) and add paragraph (b), as follows: "In so far as expressions used in the radio act of 1927 are not defined therein, the definitions contained in article 1 of the International Radio Convention and article 1 of the general regulations annexed thereto signed at Washington on November 25, 1927, are hereby adopted for terms used in the said act and in the regulations issued in accordance therewith." Page 35, section 30, change present section to paragraph (a) and add paragraph (b), as follows: "Any violation of any rule, regulation, restriction, or condition made or imposed by the International Radio Convention or the general regulations annexed thereto, signed at Washington on November 25, 1927, or regulations issued by the licensing authority to give effect thereto, shall constitute an offense against the United States, and upon conviction thereof any person, firm, company, or corporation shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 for each and every offense." The meeting adjourned at 3.55 p. m. C. R. P. RODGERS. Senator DILL. Do you think it would be wise for the law to provide for the work to be done by the interdepartmental committee, which committee has been working for a number of years on this radio matter, or would it be better to leave that committee as a sort of voluntary organization under the direction of the President? Asssistant Solicitor VALLANCE. That committee has worked quite satisfactorily for several years without any formal legislation authorizing it. It is in my judgment quite an important committee. I have been the State Department's representative on it for most of the time since it was organized in 1921. We settle disputes between various departments over the assignment of wave lengths, and so forth. Senator DILL. It was our thought in 1926, when the law was framed, that it would be better to leave this Interdepartmental Committee as it then was than to attempt to provide for it by legislation. Assistance Solicitor VALLANCE. I think that is the best way to leave it, because its recommendations can be taken up if there is any dispute, even in the Cabinet meetings, and the President can find out what the view of the various Secretaries may be. The CHAIRMAN. Have you any other suggestion? Assistant Solicitor VALLANCE. There is one other suggestion I should like to bring to your attention, and that relates to the installation of radio on all ships. At the suggestion of the State Department Mr. Wallace H. White, Chairman of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives, introduced what was known as H. R. 13750 on May 14, 1928, which was to require the installation of automatic alarm signal devices on ships at sea. That would provide automatic devices that would pick up distress |