A DAY OF MARVELS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 12650, 10 January 1927, Page 7

A DAY OF MARVELS

HUNDREDS TALK ON TRANS-ATLANTIC TELEPHONE

NEW YORK HEARS ST. PAUL’S

VOICE IN NEW YORK RECORDED ON PHONOGRAPH IN LONDON

Hundreds of people in London and New York talked over the wireless ’phone when the public service was opened on Thursday.

Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.l (Received January 9, 5.5 p.m.) | LONDON. January 7. The London-New York wireless telephonic; service was successfully opened to-day. The moment the exchanges came into contact the New York operator heard a clock chime. He asked, “Gee I Is that your clock?” London replied: “No’, that is St. Paul’s Cathedral. Can you hear it?” The New Y'ork operator: “I sure can.” Official congratulatory messages were then exchanged. On both sides there were some early interruption-, but later the line was as clear as though the talking was to the suburbs of London. The callers included the proprietors and editors of most of the newspapers and news agencies, exchanging the latest news with the corrqaaondents of their papers in New York. PHOTO SENT BY RADIO The “Daily Express,’’ in describing its manager's easy conversation . with Pulitzer, proprietor of the “New York World,” says: “This did not end the day of marvels. Mr Pulitzer was photographed while he was talking, and the picture was wirelessed and it reached the ‘Daily Express’ within an hour. In the meantime the sound of Mr Pulitzer’s voice had been recorded on a phonograph in the ‘Daily Express’ office.” “Imagination staggers at today’s events; distance became of no account, the world was constricted into the confines of a suburb.” Many societies exchanged prepared statements with 'kindred American bodies, but many pieces of real business were transacted. For instance, banks put through exchange dealings, the London office of a New York daily newspaper telephoned an advertisement, a London cinema manager discussed a huge contract with filmmakers. Several wireless experts report that parts of tho conversation at the London end were overheard on their sets, hut New York was not heard. This is likely to constitute a problem for the Post Office, but it. is anticipated that it will be overcome. AS NEW YORK HEARD IT NEW YORK, January 7. When tho commercial radio-tele-fflraiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiriraiiiraiiiiiiUiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiuiitu!'®

phone service between New York and London was formally inaugurated, greetings were exchanged between Mr Walter Gifford, president of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and Sir Evelyn Murray, secretary of the British Post Office. London.

Tho first news dispatch dictated from London, about a projected visit of the Prince of Wales, was; at times interrupted by static, but this did not greatly binder conversation. BIG RUSH ON FIRST DAY Enormous public interest was aroused by the opening. There were bo many applications both from New York and London to speak on the first day that the company to-day extended the scheduled time, which normally is 8.30 in the morning, until 10.30. New York time, and carried on until late in the afternoon in the endeavour to take care of the rush. The first business call cost 75 dollars for the first three minutes, and 25 dollars a minute thereafter. Each call is limited to 12 minutes unless calls are slack. The novelty caught the imagination of New Yorkers to an extent hardly anticipated. Hundreds of persons—bank presidents, leaders of industry, professional men, and stage and film stars, seeking publicity by using the system and hoping to advertise their business bv it —besieged the offices of the company by telephone and letter, and in person. DARKNESS AN OBSTACLE Over 60 journalists and officials of the company, provided with ear ’phones, cut in on the Murray-Gifford conversation. Numerous photographers took pictures of the scene. The officials declare that it will be difficult to continuo the service when one Continent is dark, owing to increased static difficulties. The method of making a call is the same for any distant point, except to ask to be connected with the TransAtlantic operator. ONLY THE BEGINNING (Received January 9, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, January 9. The “Observer” editorially states: “Telephony with New York is only a stepping-stone to bolder things. The day is close at hand when we shall talk with Melbourne and Sydney." iU!iu!iii:iJi!;iiiiinnniiT!Tii!in!i!iiiir:i!i!mii)Uimi!i!i!iiiiiii!iiiiimimi!iiiiiii.iiF