EDITORIAL NOTES.

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 7, 29 August 1930, Page 4

EDITORIAL NOTES.

AN incoming passenger by the Makura, due in Wellingion at the time of our going to press, is Mr. A. R. Harris, manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company. . Mr. Harris has been in the United States for two or three months on a business mission. Opportunity has, however, been taken by him to establish close contact with the radio world, and familiarise himself with the trend of events on both the mechanical and the programme side. As it happened, Mr. Harris was at 4YA, Dunedin, on the occasion of Rear-Admiral Byrd’s epochmaking two-way conversation with New York. It was, therefore, interesting for him to be in New York when the famous American reached there and to witness the enthusiastic reception accorded him by. the American people. Mr. Harris was also present by special invitation when radio conversations were carried out between England, Germany and the United States. In connection with these, Edison himself spoke from his library at West Orange. A small army of operators carried out this transmission and the sound recording of the transmissions which took place. Much publicity was given to this event in both American and English newspapers. Mr. Harris, it is known, also investigated the present position in regard to television, and witnessed many laboratory tests and experiments. It is certain that Mr. Harris will have secured a great deal of information of value to radio broadcasting, and we look forward with eagerness to perusing his statements as they become available. THE satisfactory outcome of the Tahiti disaster, from the point of view of saving life and mail, has greatly impressed the public mind. As the full story has become available it is realised more adequately than at the time how narrow an escape from a major disaster was experienced. The incident has revived memories of the Titanic disaster, and has recalled the radio side of that outstanding event. The full story, as it has now become available, is that on the night in question the Titanic, when speeding across the Atlantic, was warned by a vessel just ahead of her course of the presence of ice. She acknowledged the message and requested the s.s. Californian not to block radio transmission with the Cape Race radio station. Shortly

ot after that request was made the Titanic razed the berg which inflicted her death-blow. S O S messages were promptly sent out, and were replied to by the Carpathian, 58 miles away, the Frankfort, 140 miles._, away, and even the Olympic, 560 miles away, but no acknowledgment " came from the Californian, with which the Titanic had so recently } been in conversation. So near was the Californian that, as the Titanic lay helpless awaiting her doom, her lights were visible. The officers on the bridge of the Californian saw the lights of the Titanic, saw that they were stationary, and later saw rockets go up. Then the lights faded out. The explanation of the disaster as later shown was that the single operator of the Californian, tired out after 16 hours of duty, had gone to bed at 11.30. Thus 1500 souls sank beneath _ the waves almost under the very eyes of the Californian through the unfortunate inability of radio to carry out its life-saving function. The case of the Tahiti has shown most strikingly just what might have been. Radio prevented a major disaster, and in the added safety it has given to sea travelling adds a further leaf to its laurels in the service of humanity. wn weasiliat,