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May 1941 Radio-Craft
 [Table
of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics.
See articles from Radio-Craft,
published 1929 - 1953. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.
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 These letters represent an unfriendly
exchange between The Electrical Experimenter editor Hugo Gernsback and Dr. K.G.
Frank, of the Telefunken
System of Wireless Technology, of Germany. Gernsback correctly accused Dr. Frank
of engaging in espionage for Germany and against the United States of America, during
World War I at a time we were not officially at war with the Axis powers. He
was arrested and interred for the duration of the war for sending out "unneutral messages" from the broadcast station at Sayville, Long
Island, New York. See "Radiobotage" in this month's (September
1941) editorial column. This is part of the motivation for the FCC
prohibiting amateur radio
transmissions during World War II.
"Sayville Once More" - An Attack on The Electrical Experimenter
 (Under the above title, the October 1915 edition
of The Electrical Experimenter carried the interesting correspondence reprinted
below. History is its own indisputable evidence that "history repeats itself." We
can only hope therefore that a review of past events, may in some measure throw
into sharp relief for all to see, the coming events which thinking men foresee.
- Editor)
The two letters reproduced herewith require no comment. The one illustrates the
German viewpoint, the other the American. We leave it to our readers to decide which
is the correct one.
Dr. K. G. Frank, as is well known, is the present executive head of the Sayville
wireless station. On August 17 the Providence Journal laid before the U. S. Neutrality
Board in Washington eight formal charges. One of these charges was that Dr. K. G.
Frank is the head in the United States of what is known in Berlin as an Information
Bureau (secret service).
The letters follow:
Atlantic Communication Co. (Telefunken System of Wireless Telegraphy)
47-49 West Street
The Experimenter Publishing Co.,
Attention, Mr. H. Gernsback, Editor.
Dear Sir: - With regret and surprise I have read your editorial in No. 28 of
The Electrical Experimenter on "Sayville."
According to my knowledge your paper is the only technical paper which joins
some of the daily newspapers in the contemptible attempt to cast suspicion upon
Sayville. One would at least expect that your paper would take cognizance of fact
that not only no single instance of an un-neutral act can be proved, but also that
there has never been any charge of such act made by any official of the United States
Government.
The standard of the technical and scientific press in this country is, fortunately,
so high that I am convinced your paper will remain the only one which distinguishes
itself in such manner.
Very truly yours,
(Signed) Dr. K. G. Frank, New York, N. Y., August 17, 1915.
*******
Atlantic Communication Co.
New York City,
Attention Dr. K. G. Frank Dear Sir: -
The writer was indeed surprised to receive your communication of August 17. He
is at a loss to understand how you could possibly misconstrue the true meaning of
his editorial in view of the fact that at the time it was published Sayville had
already been taken over by the Government. What the editorial meant to convey was
that even though the Government had taken over Sayville, it was not at all certain
that messages pregnant with un-neutral information, yet harmless on their face,
could not be sent in spite of all censorship. The imaginary case of the message
from the "Adriatic" was cited as an illustration. Anyone by paying the usual tolls
can even now send such a message. The management or the operators at the Sayville
station obviously need not necessarily have cognizance that the message is an un-neutral
one.
That the writer's viewpoint was correct is best shown by the announcement of
Secretary of the Navy Daniels under date of August 18, "that as a result of the
demonstration that un-neutral messages could be sent through the Sayville station
he had issued orders that in all cases where the Government experts were in doubt
about any message presented for sending it should be referred to Washington for
judgment."
As to the second paragraph in your letter your attention is directed to page
210, September issue of The Electrical Experimenter. It gives facts with which you
are doubtless familiar. These facts disclose one of the main reasons why Sayville
was taken over by our Government.
Your assertion that "The Electrical Experimenter is joining some of the daily
newspapers in the contemptible attempt to cast suspicion upon Sayville and, further,
that no single instance of a dishonorable act can be proved, but also that there
has never been any charge of such act made by any official of the United States
Government," is as perverted as it is unfounded. Its tone is also resented by the
writer. The Electrical Experimenter certainly never attempted to cast suspicion
upon Sayville, but it has shown that the station can, and perhaps has been used
to convey un-neutral messages, though not necessarily with the knowledge of the
management or its operators.
At the same time the writer desires to voice his opinion that there is sufficient
circumstantial evidence at hand to lead anyone who wishes to view the matter in
its true light to believe that the management of the Sayville station probably had
some knowledge of the real purport of the many "irregular" messages sent over the
Atlantic by Sayville before the station was finally taken over by the United States
Government.
The slur contained in your last paragraph is best met by bringing to your attention
the fact that The Electrical Experimenter today is considered an authority on wireless
matters in this country. As such it is its duty to publish any matter of interest
to the wireless world. It will distinguish itself in the future by continuing to
do so. It will also continue voicing its opinion especially at times when the welfare
of this country is concerned.
Very truly yours,
The Electrical Experimenter Co.
(Signed) H. Gernsback, Editor
New York, August 80, 1915.
Posted August 7, 2023
(updated from original post on
8/16/2015)
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