JAPANESE CATACLYSM

Southland Times, Issue 19102, 21 November 1923, Page 10

JAPANESE CATACLYSM

HOW AMERICA HEARD. RADIO MESSAGE. The disaster in Japan offered radio communication its first opportunity to prove its superiority over all other forms of longdistance communication, and the opportunity was met, for cables broke down, but an untouched radio plant on the Japanese coast, a little over a hundred miles from Tokio, kept Japan in touch with the world (says the San Francisco correspondent of the Brisbane Courier). Through this station, America first, and, through America, the rest of the world, was apprised of the catastrophe that had befallen a great people. That first communication set into motion a long chain of activities which, within a very brief space of time, started the work of relief and succour. In the mass of fearborn rumours and authenticated facts, one human figure stands out in the story of this natural upheaval. It is not the figure of any of the notables killed or hurt or lost, but the figure of a Japanese wireless operator who gave the world its first news of the disaster. And he was given his great importance by the miraculous instrument for communication which is radio. San Francisco is inclined to be proud that the miracle of radio has again demonstrated its service to mankind, and when all other agencies of communication failed, for down in a little office on California-street, in San Francisco, radio history was written which will live long in the memory of man. it was in the operating room of the Radio Corporation of America where George Baxter, traffic superintendent, was listening in to tests with Honolulu over the magnetic waves of radio, when the first news of Japan’s disaster was known. It was just before dawn, a lazy and tiresome hour with a radio “Ket —ket” came the call letters of the San Francisco station over the air. Baxter perked up, adjusted his ear caps, and listened. “JAA”—“JAA” came the signature of the calling station. “Its the Japanese operator at Tomioka,” spoke Baxter to his assistant, Irving Brown. “Tell him we are clean of traffic. Monday’s a holiday here.” There was a sput of high frequency radio as the local operator tapped off Baxter’s words to the station “JAA.”- “Disaster here. Very big. Please QRX,” replied the Japanese operator sitting in his station at Tomioka, 144 miles north of Tokio. “QRX” is the radio abbreviation to “Stand by.”

A hush fell over the San Francisco crew of radio men, and all plugged in and adjusted their headsets. Here was radio gossip with a real thrill, such gossip as is always sought by men of the radio craft. “Di-da, da-da-da” came the wireless from J'apan. It was in international code, and perfectly audible to all in the room. Across 4600 miles of broad Pacific it flashed with a speed of light. It started: “Earthquake Yokohama. All city afire. Many buildings collapsed. Loss ofr life heavy. Thought you would be interested. Yonemura.” With signature came silence. The Japanese was gone. He was off the air. Baxter jumped to his key. “JAA”—“JAA” he called time and again, but only silence greeted him in return. A terrible calamity had befallen Japan. This was evident to the local operators, and they could not understand why Yonemura did not continue the narrative. An operator was put on the air to listen for his return.

PRESS FLASHED NEWS.

Baxter grabbed his ’phone and flashed his startling news to the Press. Chit over the nation it sped via the Press wires. It was picked up by cable and radio, and served the entire world. Evidently the intention of Yonemura was that his message to Baxter should serve as radio gossip between one operator and another, but Baxter scented something exceptional in the message, and turned the gossip into real red hot news, and by his judgment and action, gave early relief to a stricken nation. It was not for nine hours after the first flash that “JAA” came back on the air, and he appeared then pulsed with his importance, yet little did he realise his position. Bit by bit he gave further facts of the Yokohama situation. It was not until 4 o’clock that afternoon that Yonemura told of the Tokio earthquake and fire, and then only in terms of generalities. With all land wire communications down, the Japanese operator secured his information from the stricken district by passing refugees. Later he secured a copy of a Japanese newspaper published outside the devastated area. ’Phis he translated over the radio to the waiting world, giving graphic facts of the magnitude of the situation. The “RCA” office in California immediately became the pivot point of world interest, for here was centred the connecting link with devastated Japan. All other radio stations in Japan were destroyed. Tomioka was the only radio in operation, and peculiar as it seemed, “KET,” the San Francisco station, in addition to Hawaii, was the only contact. True to the tradition of their craft, the operators in San Francisco remained at their posts continuously, day and night, until other communication was established with Japan. From all parts of the world messages began to pour into the Californiastreef office from relatives and friends seeking information of loved ones over across the Pacific, and all this traffic was handled with the utmost speed and accuracy, in addition to heavy Government traffic. Like a room of magic the operating station of the radio firm presented many mysteries to the layman, but George Baxter, by a turn of a switch, was able to bring in Japan, so that the wireless impulses were audible all over the room.