cial business, and besides that every ship 

 of the Navy is herself a commercial sta- 

 tion, as all private messages handled are 

 paid for by the senders. 



In addition to the paid commercial 

 business carried on by the naval radio 

 stations, the system renders a free serv- 

 ice of inestimable value in the daily 

 transmission from Arlington and other 

 stations of the time signals from the 

 Naval Observatory, thus enabling ships 

 at sea, even though far beyond the range 

 of transmission of their own equipment, 

 to determine their exact chronometer 

 correction. Even sailing vessels, which 

 habitually make long voyages and which 

 have no power with which to operate a 

 radio station of their own, may at trifling 

 expense be equipped to catch this signal. 

 Our own naval ships have carried it far 

 into the Mediterranean. 



In addition to this, over 300 jewelers 

 throughout the country are now receiv- 

 ing the Navy's time signal by radio, and 

 there is little doubt but what this number 

 will grow to 3,000. 



WHEN WAR'S LIGHTNINGS FLAME THE SKY 



During the war in Mexico, when all 

 land wire and cable communication be- 

 tween the United States and the south- 

 ern part of Mexico was interrupted, the 

 naval vessels on the west coast afforded 

 the only means of communication. The 

 air has been put under contribution and 

 is now the fleet-assigned servant of man. 

 The S. O. S. call has reduced the terrors 

 of the deep. 



Another interesting feature of this 

 free radio service, which should be of 

 incalculable benefit to shipping, is found 

 in the radio compass now under con- 

 struction at the Fire Island station, near 

 the entrance to New York harbor. This 

 device is intended to send out radio sig- 

 nals of such a character that a vessel in 

 a fog may get a close approximation of 

 her "bearing," or compass direction, 

 from the station. By means of observa- 

 tions taken 5 or 10 miles apart, it should 

 be possible for the vessel to determine 

 her actual position with fair accuracy. 



This is the first installation of this type 

 to be made in this country; but a second 

 installation of different type, though an- 

 swering the same purpose, is undergoing 

 tests at Cape Cod. 



THE WIDE WORLD TO COME WITHIN EAR- 

 SHOT 



The signals sent out by the radio com- 

 pass at Fire Island will necessarily be 

 limited as to range; but the Cape Cod 

 installation will allow of a coasting ship 

 calling the station in the usual manner 

 from any distance within the ship's ordi- 

 nary range and receiving a definite reply 

 as to her bearing from the station. In 

 the case of Fire Island the ship will de- 

 termine her bearing from the character 

 of the signals continuously emitted ; for 

 Cape Cod the station determines the 

 bearing of the ship from her calling sig- 

 nal and sends the information back. If 

 these installations prove as successful as 

 anticipated, the radio operators of ships 

 will become an important part of the 

 navigating force. 



In the fall of last year the human voice 

 was successfully transmitted by radio 

 from the Naval Radio Station at Arling- 

 ton clear across the continent to the sta- 

 tion at Mare Island, Cal., 2,500 miles 

 away; and several months later, sitting 

 at his desk in the Navy Department, the 

 Secretary of the Navy sent the first order 

 ever issued by the Navy by wireless 

 telephony to Rear Admiral Usher, com- 

 mandant of the New York Navy Yard. 



The radio system of the Navy has been 

 so thoroughly and completely organized 

 and the Navy's system of communica- 

 tion, under the efficient organization of 

 the Office of Naval Operations by its 

 present chief, Rear Admiral Benson, is 

 now so effective that messages to every 

 part of the world can be sent at any time 

 of the day or night ; and this division has 

 been put under the supervision of a 

 thoroughly trained naval officer, within 

 50 feet of the desk of the Secretary of 

 the Navy, and in immediate touch with 

 the officers and officials of every depart- 

 ment. 



NOTE TO MEMBERS 



Owing to unprecedented conditions in the importation of special inks for 

 color work, together with the very large increase in the edition of the National 

 Geographic Magazine, due to its continually growing popularity, it has been 

 necessary to postpone until the April number the thirty-two pages of four-color 

 work, illustrating the article on "America's Playgrounds," which was announced 

 for the March number. 



