Web note: WWI has begun in Europe. The strategic importance of powerful wireless stations to communicate with any navy ship as far away as 3,000 miles motivated England to take over the new high-powered stations in Wales.  This thwarts Marconi’s plans to begin the operation of his chain of stations.  In New Jersey, it means the duplex of Belmar and New Brunswick Station are isolated from their European partner stations, Soon  Germany would call for censors at the Belmar Station.

THREE-MILE LIMIT IMPOSED

Merchant Ships Forbidden to Send Messages When Near the British Coast.

AGREE WITH UNITED STATES

Germany and England Assent to Code Dispatches from Here Under Censorship.

The British Government has commandeered the three high-powered wireless telegraph stations at Poldhu, Towyn. and Carnarvon, in Wales, and has made an emergency war ruling that no merchant vessel carrying wireless apparatus may send messages while with­in three stiles of the English coast, ac­cording to information received yesterday by E. J. Nally, Vice President and General Manager of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of Amer­ica, which has its American offices in the Woolworth Building.

“I have just been notified that the English have taken over full control of these stations and. in addition, have commandeered our station at Clilden, Ireland, which communicates with Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, for part-time use by the British Admiralty.” Mt. Nally said. Our company will be al­lowed to operate the Clifden-Glace Bay circuit during certain hours for the transmission of censored commercial or other messages, but we will be un­able to use the stations in Wales until further notice. These stations were completed only a short time ago and were to have been opened to the public on Sept. 1, the American stations in the circuit being at Belmar and New Brunswick, N. J.”

Mr. Nally said the control of the wireless stations in Wales, with their pow­erful sending apparatus, would enable the Admiralty to keep in constant com­munication with British navy vessels at any point within 3,000 miles of Wales. He also said he had received information that the British Govern­ment had demanded the exclusive serv­ice of 150 of the company’s wireless operators who were employed at the Welsh stations. These would be placed at the Welsh and other Government-controlled stations and aboard English battleships.

It is said that the order forbidding merchant vessels if use their wireless instruments near England is made to avert the possibility of official messages becoming confused with others in transmission. It is reported that in several instances the British authorities have destroyed wireless outfits on ships coming into English ports and this measure may be taken in every instance in which merchant vessels ignore the three-mile ruling.

Became of the unexpected use to which the Welsh stations are to be put, the Marconi company is planning to use the new stations in New Jersey for communication directly with San Fran­cisco and from there to Honolulu.

“The apparatus is being tested out for this long-range at present.” Mr. Nelly said. “and we expect to open this service for the public on Sept. 20, when we shall hold opening ceremonies at San Francisco, Marshall and Bolinas, the California stations and in Honolulu.  The stations in California have been to communication with Honolulu.  Probably we will be able to send mes­sages via the New Jersey stations directly to the Norwegian Government’s Station at Scavenger, Norway, and tests for this circuit are now being made.

Previous to the commandeering of the Marconi stations in Wales, Mr. Nally said, the British Admiralty .had been sending coded messages through Clifden to Glace Bay.  Germany, too, had been able to keep in touch with her navy at long range through the powerful sta­tion of the Telefunken company at Nauen, ten miles from Berlin, which communicated directly with Sayville L. I.

Published September 1, 1914, Copyright The New York Times

Post by InfoAge January 30, 2017, for research