NO DEATH RAY

Evening Star, Issue 22689, 1 July 1937, Page 4

NO DEATH RAY

CHEAPER TO SHOOT MARCONI EXPLODES REPORTS \ “It is cheaper to shoot ! ” In these words the Marcheso Marconi exploded reports that he had supplied Signor Mussolini with two new death ray devices. The nearest he had ever got to a death-ray was during a laboratory experiment when he had killed a rat at three feet. “ I am not at liberty to divulge how it was done,” he said, “ but if one must crawl within three feet of something to kill it with an elaborate and costly apparatus requiring all manner of sensitive adjustments—-what’s the use? All of the stories you have read or heard of death-rays are untrue,” he said. “It is untrue that I have invented a mysterious ray capable of destroying armies by the mere pressing of a button, or perfected a ray capable of stopping moving aeroplanes, tanks, and automobiles. Even the laboratory experiment was soon dropped.” A FEARSOME THING. At the same time, Marconi propounded a theory’ that radio propaganda (jould be turned into a fearsome thing in war. “ Radio propaganda will be the most important weapon in any future .war. One of the problems will be to prevent enemy broadcasts being heard in the defending country. There is no really effective method of doing this. Jamming and interference are not very efficient. “ There will be utter confusion on th© ether in the ©vent of another European war. It might prove effective to make confusion more_ confounded by hurling info the air, on conflicting wave lengths, all manner of broadcasts, in order to blot out transmissions from distant stations in enemy countries.” _ The military possibilities of television, Marconi added, were obvious, but he declined to say in what way. He revealed that he was now experimenting with ultra-short microradio waves, which would have a vital bearing on the future of television. “ Television will sooner or later he received in every house, like radio, but my own opinion is that television is less important than speech broadcasting.” While’ the wizard of wireless was theorising about future aids to war, Signor Mussolini was bolstering Italy’s war preparedness with large appropriations listed as for public works. His programme provides nearly £5,000,000 for a telephone system, including a marine cable to Africa, a new strategic airport at Genoa, and a £300,000 hospital at Naples as a base for wounded from a Mediterranean war. Mussolini also announces the formation of a new military corps of Frontier Guards, but'gave no details.