48. Today in 1920s Turkey: 7-8 January 1927 (Inauguration of First Transatlantic Telephone Service)

(“Neither miracle nor prophecy,” Karagöz, 8 January 1927, no. 1963, page 3.)

Comments:
Exactly ninety years ago today, on 7 January 1927, the first radio-based Transatlantic phone service was established. And in the same spirit of rapid communication, just a day later, on 8 January 1927 Karagöz was already reporting the breaking news story.

Couched in praises for modern science and technology, this short blurb underscores the significance of this development by comparing the speed of instantaneously communicating words via radio frequencies to that of transporting people (or print, for that matter) over the oceans in no less than five days. In this brave new world one no longer needs to move their body through time and space to communicate a verbal message to someone.

According to Karagöz science and modern civilization have made such great achievements possible. Without overtly stating it, Karagöz compares superstitions and science or miracles (worldly manifestations of God’s omnipotence) and technology (material applications of scientific facts). Establishing communication between two disparate continents seems like the work of God but it is the work of mere flesh and blood mortals who harnessed the power of knowledge to create something new and useful. The message being: advanced civilizations that appreciate science will harness its power (and those who don’t…).

English:
Neither Miracle Nor Prophecy: Science
It takes exactly five days and five nights to go between America and Europe using the strongest ships available. There is an entire ocean between them. Thus, despite this [distance/fact] people have begun speaking between America and Europe with wireless telephone. While you live in Europe you can talk to your friend in America. This astonishing thing is neither magic nor prophecy, it is the power of science. It is the power of civilization.

Türkçe:
Ne Mucize, Ne Keramet: Fen
Amerika ile Avrupa’nın arası en kuvvetli gemilerle gidilmek şartıyla tamam beş gün beş gecedir. Arada koca bahri muhit vardır. İşte bu halde Avrupa ile Amerika arasında telsiz telefonla konuşulmaya başlandı. Avrupa’da otururken Amerika’daki dostunla konuş. Bu hayret verici şey ne sihirdir ne keramet, fen kuvvetidir. Medeniyet kuvvetidir.

(Entire page, Karagöz, 8 January 1927, no. 1963, page 3.)

For more on the history of the telephone see:
Wikipedia: Timeline of the Telephone
Wikipedia: Transatlantic Communications Cable