ng and tell us the
laws on which the radio telephone is based."

"That is a rather big order, sir," Bob replied modestly. "However, I
am willing to try to fill it. I can at least pass on to you all that I
know myself."

"That will satisfy me," affirmed the capitalist. "I see no reason,
either, why your young brother cannot arrange his work so that he can
join our class. The more the merrier. I even propose to drag in my
wife and daughter. If in future we are to have wireless apparatus
wherever we go it will be unintelligent not to know something about
it."

"I am afraid it is going to pursue us pretty much to every corner of
the earth," smiled Bob gravely. "You see, one of its great advantages
is that it can go where the telephone with its myriad wires and poles
cannot. It would be out of the question, for example, to string
telephone wires through densely wooded sections and to the tops of
high mountains, and even if the impossible could be accomplished the
expense of keeping such lines in proper repair would be so great that
no one could afford to shoulder it. Poles rot and wires rust out with
wear and exposure to weather. Then there is the damage from gales,
ice-storms, and falling timber. Even under the best of conditions
linemen would be kept busy all the time repairing the equipment. And
as if these difficulties were not great enough in times of peace think
of the added burden of protecting miles and miles of telephone wires
in time of war. Contrast with this the small district to be protected
when it comes to a wireless station. Instead of having soldiers
scattered through miles of territory the few needed can be
concentrated within easy reach of provisions and reinforcements. And
the same advantages that the radio telephone has on land prevail as
well at sea for transmission of messages by cable is a frightfully
expensive thing. Not only is the laying of such a line difficult,
dangerous, and costly, but to maintain it is expensive and hard as
well. In time of war it is particularly at a disadvantage since the
cable can be cut and all communication with the outside world easily
severed. Wireless, on the other hand, is not dependent on any such
extravagant equipment. It finds its own way through air, water, and
earth with very little help from us; and if it has its defects we must
not forget that the first telephones were far from perfect, and that
both telephone and cable have also their disadvantages."