"CONELRAD" PROGRAM I refer to the proposed "conelrad" program-control of electromagnetic radiation-and the acceleration of the search for sources of interference before they cause trouble or aid an enemy. This program has the support of the Air Defense Command and is specifically designed to help prevent the use of radio-frequency emissions from whatever source which could be of aid to an enemy for air navigation. A representative of the Air Force is here with us today to testify on this project. The recent reductions in the staff in the Field Engineering and Monitoring Bureau have compounded bad situations. Lawlessness resulting from neglect has grown in radio as in other fields. Situations that an adequate staff could handle as routing become cases of major concern. Our investigative units are spread hundreds of miles apart and are badly undermanned. The small-boat and itinerant-aircraft field, employing radio, presents a serious situation challenging not only the peace and dignity of the United States but endangering its security. Operator-examination work, dictated by a growing demand for more operators by the shipping industry and the radio industry, is increasing and requires more staff. In the face of these facts, the House has cut our allowance to a figure which will force us to curtail our monitoring operations. Twenty-four-hour watches at all primary stations will be impossible. The security of the Nation will be jeopardized. We cannot believe that the Senate wants to economize to such a point as this. Let me summarize briefly. economy The Commission's program is of great value to the Nation's and defense. Our workloads, most of which are not under our control, are increasing rapidly and certainly will continue to do so. Against these facts, our staff is being steadily reduced. Under the House allowance it would be slashed to a level which will cause larger backlogs and more delays with the backlogs and will undermine the important defense values of our program. We have increased our efficiency and productivity greatly; our budget calls for further increases. But the House allowance expects the impossible if it assumes an effective program with the inadequate funds provided. RESTORATION REQUESTED I want to repeat. It is our considered judgment that the $8,075,000 requested by the President was an extremely tight allowance; anything substantially less will weaken the program which the Commission is supposed to administer under law and in the interest of the Nation. We respectfully request restoration of the $8,075,000 requested by the President. Mr. Chairman, if I may, in addition to the members of the Commission I have introduced and in addition to Colonel Lewis, who is here to testify if the committee suggests, there is also present Mr. Haraden Pratt, who is the President's adviser on telecommunications. Senator MAYBANK. Any questions, Senator? Senator THYE. I have none. Senator MAYBANK. I have no further questions; I have the personnel situation pretty well straight in my mind. However, we do expect you to file here a couple of statements for each one of these items that you have here in the amendments. Mr. WALKER. We will be glad to do that. I understand it is not an emergency and we can get it here during the week. Senator MAYBANK. That is right. We have other agencies here. Mr. WALKER. Do you want to go back on the theory of the freeze? Senator MAYBANK. I do not think so. I think I know what happened. Do you have any questions, Senator Thye? TELEVISION FREEZE Senator THYE. Mr. Chairman, how long would it take for the Chairman of the Commission to make a brief explanation on the freeze? That was mentioned by Senator Johnson. Mr. WALKER. It is difficult to explain to people who have television sets and have not been able to get anything. The freeze was simply a matter of interference. Senator MAYBANK. Mr. Cooper has just called to my attention, Senator Thye, that that subject is a part of the record and appears in the justifications. It is quite lengthy and we will have it printed in the record at this point, without objection. Senator THYE. The only reason why I raised the question is that Senator Johnson thought the Commission should make the explanation about the freeze. If the freeze is in the report already, there is no use of further adding to the volume. Senator MAYBANK. Yes. It will appear in the record at this point. (The material referred to is as follows:) In budget documents of the past several years we have explained in some detail the problems that confront us in the television field. Because 1953 appears to be the year in which the processing of applications for new and changed TV facilities will be resumed on a full-scale basis, a restatement of the background considerations appears to be in order. The Commission recognized as early as 1945, in making TV allocations in the 50-to-216-megacycle band, that there were not enough frequencies available in the VHF (very high frequency) portion of the spectrum to permit the development of a truly Nation-wide and competitive TV service. By 1948, it was apparent that in numerous cities throughout the Nation the available channels were insufficient to satisfy the actual demand for TV stations. In May 1948, therefore, the Commission instituted formal hearings to explore the possibilities of (1) reallocating VHF frequencies so as to provide greater service, and (2) opening the ultra-high frequencies (UHF: 475 to 890 megacycles) to commercial television. During the course of these hearings, it developed that television signals were being carried farther than originally anticipated, and that too little mileage separation had been provided for between stations. Since a complete revision of television allocations would be required, the Commission on September 30, 1948, called a halt to further grants for new stations by adopting a "freeze" policy, and subsequently scheduled a new proceeding to inquire into (1) revision of the VHF allocations, (2) opening of the UHF frequencies, and (3) the prospects for color television in both the VHF and UHF. The hearing began September 24, 1949, and has continued into the calendar year of 1952. Our past estimates that the hearings would be over and the "freeze" lifted even prior to this time were invalidated by the unexpected magnitude of the hearing. However, the end of the "freeze" is now definitely in sight. The final phase of the hearing has been virtually completed, with evidence being submitted under an expediting procedure which provided for written presentations, pursuant to a definite schedule. This schedule provides for receipt of all of the evidence by about the end of December of 1951. We are confident that the "freeze" will be lifted during the first quarter of the calendar year 1952. Although all authorizations issued before the "freeze" was instituted have been honored, no new authorizations have been granted since September 30, 1948. Mr. WALKER. It is purely a matter of interference based on the best judgment that the Commission engineers and the other engineers, particularly the industry engineers who are supposed to be expert, had at the time. They simply did not know what the interference might be. Senator THYE. Do you think you now have the bugs out of that question and that you can proceed with the engineering function without the danger of further interference? Mr. WALKER. We think so. We are going to do the best we can. Senator THYE. But do you think you have done the engineering necessary to eliminate interference? Mr. WALKER. We think so. Senator THYE. Fine. That is the answer. Senator MAYBANK. That is what I wanted to hear him say, because I hope they have done so. The situation is that there are certain communities that can get two or three stations while others cannot get any. The sooner they get these bugs out around the different communities, the better off everybody will be. Mr. WALKER. Mr. Chairman, may I suggest we think it would be. helpful if you would listen to a very brief statement at least from Mr. Haraden Pratt. Senator MAYBANK. Certainly. We were going to call Colonel Lewis and Mr. Pratt. We had scheduled Colonel Lewis first and then Mr. Pratt. Colonel Lewis, will you come up? STATEMENT OF COL. GOMER LEWIS, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM AIR FORCE TO FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Colonel LEWIS. Do you desire me to make a statement, sir? Senator MAYBANK. I presume so, unless you have something to put in the record. Colonel LEWIS. I presume it is the same as when I appeared in the House, and the same as when I appeared before the budget. It is in reference to a transfer of funds from the Air Force to the Federal Communications Commission. It came about as a result of a requirement Senator MAYBANK. For the record, how much was it? It is a yearly budget, and it is based on a requirement for payment to the FCC for the engineers which they make available to the Air Force in carrying out a plan required to implement the broadcasting stations in providing a system whereby, during any imminent attack or actual attack, the radio-broadcasting stations can be placed into a cluster of frequencies which will deny their use by the enemy for navigational purposes. Senator MAYBANK. In other words, that is appropriated by the Armed Services Subcommittee; is it? Colonel LEWIS. Yes, sir. It came about as a result of the United States Air Force's being responsible for the defense of the continental United States against air attack, and this is one of the means which we take to provide that defense. Senator MAYBANK. I presume, Colonel, that you are going to appear before the Armed Services Subcommittee; or did Secretary Finletter make that in his request to them? Colonel LEWIS. It was not included specifically, but it is the responsibility of the Air Force, and we accept it bacause we require it to be placed in effect in order to carry out our defense program. Senator MAYBANK. But I am trying to get down to the money. We do not appropriate that. That is appropriated in the military; is that right? it. Colonel LEWIS. Yes, sir. Mr. Cox. May I add to that; the chairman has asked me to add to Senator MAYBANK. Yes, sir. Mr. Cox. The project is primarily a project of service to the Air Force's operations by the field engineering and monitoring staff. That is the part that is financed by transfer of funds, which funds have been appropriated to the Air Force. However, in addition, the reason why we are directly involved is that we also get a direct appropriation. We use some of our funds for strengthening our field engineering and monitoring, our monitoring network, because it is of direct value and use. That is why we have this joint operating relationship. The point we have been trying to make is that for our monitoring operation to be so weakened that it is ineffective, with no 24-hour watch and that sort of thing, that it destroys the value of this "conelrad" program that we are setting up to service the Air Force. Senator MAYBANK. How much money do you need to supplement the $252,000? PERSONNEL INCREASE Mr. Cox. There are 86 employees of our own. We estimate, the best calculation we can make to work on this program is 86 employees. Senator MAYBANK. That is, 86 FCC employees to work on the program of the Air Force, who appropriate $252,000 approximately? Mr. Cox. That is, the transfer from them is approximately a quarter of a million dollars. There are 86 people of our own employees who will work on the operating part of carrying out this same program. Mr. HOLL. We are asking for 86 people for 1953 to augment this program, and we do not now have our own staff working on that except to a very small extent. Senator MAYBANK. That was included in the 1,297; was it? Mr. HOLL. That is correct. In other words, on page 1 of our document here we show an increase in field engineering and monitoring from 405 to 538. Eighty-six of that increase is to get into the second phase. Senator MAYBANK. To augment the Air Force? Mr. HOLL. That is correct. It is a thing that is peculiarly our own type of work but ties into the Air Force project. Senator MAYBANK. Do you have any questions, Senator Thye? Senator THYE. No, Mr. Chairman. Senator MAYBANK. I understand your money is appropriated by another committee and you are responsible for the 86 employees tied into this 24-hour watch, and so on. Colonel LEWIS. That is right, sir. Mr. WALKER. Mr. Chairman, if I may suggest, you might like to have a statement from Mr. Haraden Pratt. Senator MAYBANK. We will be glad to hear Mr. Pratt. INTERDEPARTMENT RADIO ADVISORY COMMITTEE SALARIES AND EXPENSES STATEMENT OF HARADEN PRATT, TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT ASSIGNMENT OF RADIO FREQUENCIES Mr. PRATT. Thank you, Chairman Walker. Gentlemen, I wanted to call to your attention an activity that has been administered by the Commission which deals with the radio frequency assignment problem-it has for years-of all of the execu tive departments of the Government, the activities of which group now come under my jurisdiction under the Executive order under which I operate, which was issued last October. To explain to you what this group does, if it is your pleasure, I would like to read a letter addressed to the House, to the Honorable Albert Thomas. Senator MAYBANK. Certainly. Mr. PRATT. It is a classified letter because of one sentence. I will leave it out-that sentence-and then I will leave the document with if you want it. you Senator MAYBANK. You may read it. Mr. PRATT. The letter is as follows: DEAR MR. THOMAS: It is my understanding that during the course of reviewing the budget presentation of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the fiscal year 1953 you suggested the advisability of outlining, in writing, the stated importance of the work of the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC). Accordingly, the purpose of this letter is to present, for your committee, the written statements of the agencies and departments vitally concerned with national defense, in relation to this radio committee which serves them. It is considered that the substantive work of the IRAC is outlined in sufficient detail in the budget presentation of the FCC, pages 54 to 57, and therefore need not be repeated in this letter. Upon my appointment to this office, the terms of Executive Order No. 10297 (a copy of which is attached for your convenience) indicated that this committee, the IRAC, was to report to me. (See sec 4.) Accordingly, I initiated a study of the work performed by the committee and found that it has since 1922 been the instrument within the Government charged with assigning radio frequencies to Government stations; it also serves as the forum for collaboration with the FCC wherein agreement can be reached for frequencies to be assigned to non-Government stations. The committee's records, however, were found to be in something less than a satisfactory and up-to-date condition. This was brought about by two things: firstly, because of the greatly expanded use of radio frequencies with the advance of the art during and since the last World War; and secondly, because of the greatly increased military uses of radio frequencies resulting from the activities in Korea. As a result of my investigations relative to the IRAC and its records, I then turned to the defense agencies with a view toward obtaining assistance from them in bringing the records and work of the committee up to date, if possible, during the remainder of the current fiscal year. (The FCC was, of course, unable to assist in this effort because of their inability to meet additional expenditures of this nature.) I am happy to state that the Department of Defense has agreed |