Editorial Notes - A Wireless Telegraphy Wrangle

At present it looks very much as though there would be a wireless telegraphy war. Prof. Slaby of Berlin, Germany, one of the inventors of the Slaby-Arco system of wireless telegraphy, claims that the Marconi people are doing all in their power to hurt his system in a commercial way. To a representative of the "Herald's" European edition, Prof. Slaby is reported as saying:

"I would like to appeal in behalf of humanity against any undue commercialism in the employment of wireless, or rather the spark, telegraphic system. I am not interested in the commercial exploitation of the Slaby-Arco system now, but purely in its scientific aspect.

"When the Deutschland, with Prince Henry on board, was near land and tried to make connections with its Slaby-Arco system with the Nantucket Station, which is provided with Marconi apparatus, it was impolitely cut off when it was learned at the station that the Deutschland was signaling. Had the steamer been in distress, or if it had been any other ship in distress equipped with a system which the operators of the Marconi Station were not allowed to recognize, such a ship might go to the bottom with all on board, just on account of commercial rivalry, which steps over dead bodies.

"There should be an international congress, and all Governments should oblige stations to receive messages from any ship.

"I do not claim that my system is superior to Mr. Marconi's, but that I arrive at the same results by different construction. Some time ago the Marconi system was offered to the German Government for 2,500,000 marks ($500,000). The Government rejected the offer, and it was this prohibitive price which necessitated the commercial exploitation of the Slaby-Arco system, which is employed not only by the German navy, but by the navies of Sweden and Norway, Denmark and Russia, and is also used in Austria, Belgium, Portugal and Mexico."

Speaking of wireless telegraphy as a rival of the submarine cable Prof. Slaby said:

"Wireless telegraphy will in no event interfere with the cables. It is ridiculous for the shareholders of cable stock to become frightened. When the electric light was introduced holders of gas stock were frightened, but what is the result? Gas is used in overwhelmingly larger quantities than when electricity was introduced.

"The objection to transatlantic telegraphy by ether waves is that such strong currents as Mr. Marconi, for instance, could send from Poldhu interrupt communication over the entire ocean. When two boards are tuned to receive or send messages and a heavy current comes along it destroys communication."

It will be seen that as regards the supplanting of submarine cables by wireless telegraphy Prof. Slaby's opinion agrees with that expressed in these columns some time ago. On the other hand, Nikola Tesla still adheres to his idea of some day sending electric power to all parts of the world without wires, for commenting on Prof. Slaby's statement he says:

"While I do not believe that wireless messages over the sea will be as cheap as some enterprising people have asserted of late, still I cannot quite share Prof. Slaby's opinion in regard to wireless transmission of energy across the Atlantic. I began nearly two years ago the design and installment of power plants for commercial use, with the fullest confidence of success, basing my assurance on exact tests and measurements, which admit of no doubt.

"This work was commenced only after I had completely mastered the problem of insuring the absolute privacy of messages, and inasmuch as I have received in this undertaking the most generous help, I would be unfortunate indeed if my expectations were not to be fully realized. I hope, however, that the transmission of messages without wires is only the first and comparatively insignificant phase of a great revolution which will be wrought by the transmission of vast quantities of energy for industrial purposes to the most distant points on the globe without wires."

The Marconi people on their part say that they are not trying to interfere with Prof. Slaby in any way and deny that the Deutschland was cut off when it tried to communicate with Nantucket by wireless telegraphy.

The following communication on the subject has been given out by the Marconi Company:

"It is contrary to the policy of the Marconi Company to exchange messages with ships equipped with any apparatus but Mr. Marconi and the terms of the agreement under which the New York 'Herald' is using the Marconi's apparatus at Nantucket prohibit the paper from an exchange of messages with the Slaby-Arco or any other instruments than those of Mr. Marconi.

"Judging, however, from the statements in the 'Herald,' this clause of the agreement was not adhered to. Messages were sent out from Nantucket by the 'Herald's' operators to the Deutschland. These messages were not received, nor, apparently, according to the 'Herald' were any of the Deutschland's messages received at Nantucket."

In the meantime, Rear Admiral Bradford, chief of the Bureau of Equipment, is investigating through his agents abroad all the systems of wireless telegraphy of any merit, with a view of ultimate adoption of one of them for the use of the navy. Thus it is to be presumed that the ships of war of the United States will have the best system, whether that of Marconi or Prof. Slaby.