Eavesdropper

Last year, A. T. & T. viewed its experiment in trans-Atlantic telephones with misgivings. Few businessmen, tourists, picked up receivers and said "London, please," or "New York, please." Costly, difficult, the New York-London service seemed about to fail.

But last week, A. T. & T. came to the end of its misgivings, announced it would not only continue the two present long wave circuits-but would open additional short-wave circuits from transmitting stations to be built near Trenton, N. J. Calls in the first eight months of 1928 were three times the total of Jan.-Aug., 1927. The 12 1/2-hour service has been lengthened to 14 1/2 hours. Now connected with the trans-Atlantic circuit are Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Antwerp, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen, Oslo, Malmo, Stockholm and eight Mexican cities. The latest extension, completed last fortnight, carries the service to Guadalajara, Mexico.

...

When you telephone from New York to Chicago, unless the wires have been tapped, your conversation is overheard only by operators. But when you telephone Europe, your words may be caught by any enterprising amateur radiodict who chances to tune in on A. T. & T.'s wave length.

Such an amateur did overhear, last week, part of a conversation between the "biggest" National City Bank and its Berlin agent. The conversation concerned another famed banking house, Brown Bros., with which National City was linked in a German financing deal. From the eavesdropping amateur there came to Brown Bros, a transcript of the talk. Brown Bros, did not like the National City talk. Puzzled, Brown Bros, asked explanations. National City, astonished, gave them. Still friends, still associates, the two banks resolved upon more cautious, coded communications.

* The voice now crosses the Atlantic eastward by radio from Rocky Pt., L. I. (or Deal, N. J.); is received at the radio station at Cupar, Scotland; then goes by wire to London; from there to any of the "opened" cities and countries of Europe. Westward from Europe, the answering voice is sent by radio from Rugby, England; received in Houlton, Maine (or Netcong, N. J.), then goes by wire to Manhattan; from there anywhere in the U. S. or Canada.