"PHOTORADIOGRAMS."

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 135, 9 June 1926, Page 8

"PHOTORADIOGRAMS."

The transmission by radio of printed Bevvs, illustrations, bank signatures, and ether writing in" photographic facsimile Will commence in America as a commercial service early this month. A service between London and New York will first be inaugurated, and will be extended soon afterwards to the principal capitals of Europe. Mr. R. H. Ranger, a young American ex-officer of the American Expeditionary Force, is the inventor of the apparatus to be used. An important test will take place on April 20 (according to the "New York Times"), when the chairman ahd'pfesideHf of the Eadio Corporation of America will be present in London to witness it. It is hoped that a personal message from King Oeorge to President Coolidge will be flr ' ed across the Atlantic as part of the opening ceremony. Banks are expected to be among chitf customers of t*ie service, because it is believed it will be especially helpful for identification purposes when dealing with handwriting, and newspapers will probably make extensive use of it. Pictures, five by seven inches, it is stated, will be flashed across at the rate of £12 each. Messages in the sender's own handwriting will later be accepted for transmission like ordinary cable or wireless messages.

The signature service will "book" a Jnan unknown in London or Paris. He •will write his signature at the bank he Irishes to deal with, ask that it be transmitted to his New York bank for identification, and return a few hours later for the confirmation.

The earliest "photoradiograms," aa the picture messages are called, when first sent' late in 1924, required four hours in transmission over comparatively short distances, but last May only 20 minutes were required in sending photographs from Hawaii to New York, a distance of 5136 miles.