RADIO COURTESIES AT SEA

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 11

RADIO COURTESIES AT SEA

"A Soft Answer . . .

A Belgian ship 5n the Channel was trying to contaet a sister ship nearly out of range, writes Oscar E. Millard in Passing Show, London. The signals of the distant ship; were faint and were being constantly jammed by another ship close to the Belgian vessel. . Foi some reason the Belgian operatoi thought the -interfering signals came from the nearby British coast station. After several vain attempts to receive the message which the distant -vesselwislied to communicate, the^exasperated Belgian operator called the British coast station and tapped out the blunt command: "Shut up, bloddy Englishmanl " * A Now the coast operator had not transmitted a word for at least half nn hpur, and he felt much as a point-duty polieemrtn would feel if someono deliberately lcnocked off his helmet. Temporarily speechless with* indignation, and. not knowing off-hand tho number of the regulation that Tequires opeTators to speak like little gentlemen, he merely acknowledged the insnlting messago and made tio commcnt. , . ? Tho cffect could not have been grcater if he had transmittod a throat

to report the Belgian, as he was en titled -to do. . For the Belgian, on hearing the coast (station 's signals, realised at once by their difference in strengtb from those. which were causing the interferenee, that he had made a bad mistake, insulting a British station without the slightest cause. He immediately bccamc apologetic. "Monsieur," he signalled, "I make a mistake. Is , it excused. ' ' The coast operator lgnored him. .After a pauso the Belgian repeateds "Monsieur^ I'am sorry, I make a mis* take. Plcaee say if it is excused."-: . Still the coast station remaincd lent, and a third thne the ship's operator' apologiscd: "Monsieur, I am very, very sorry. It wns a mistake. Please say it is forgiven." You could almost seo the toars in his eyes,. and finally tho station opeTator, who had a' scnso of lurmour, emerged froni his indignant ;silence. Affeeting to misundei-stand the rea'sou foi the apology, he replied: ."Don't worry, son.; Thc corrcet spelling is with two O's and onJv onc D, but I undci'stood you."