8ARB was the amateur station callsign assigned to Arthur C. Young of Buffalo, New York, prior to the outbreak of World War One.
QST, July, 1917, page 26:
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A brief Account of what happened at Buffalo when Orders were Received to Disconnect all Radio Apparatus and Dismantle all Aerial Wires, and the Means Used to Enforce the Orders.
By 8ARB
Orders to disconnect all radio apparatus came from M. B. West, radio censor for the United States Government for this district, on April 9th, and the sheriff of Erie County was notified on the same date in a telegram from Governor Whitman to dismantle all wireless stations in this county. He at once got his sixty deputies together and gave them written orders to search for all radio apparatus and report their findings to him.
On April 16th, a wireless station was installed in the Federal Building to be used for the purpose of detecting amateurs who had not obeyed the Government's orders to dismantle their stations. It's installation was directed by Radio Engineer Leary of this city. The local commercial station that had been taken over by the naval authorities was re-opened for commercial business. It is being operated as a naval station and will be subject to censorship at all times.
April 17th showed that three hundred radio stations in Buffalo and vicinity had been dismantled since word came from Washington and it was especially pleasing to Radio Gunner M. B. West. The Police Department joined forces with the sheriff and the radio department, and the reports from captains of several stations (police) showed that up to the morning of the 17th, twenty-one additional outfits had been dismantled. Also one station in Williamsville, near Buffalo, was closed. Radio Gunner West has been meeting with success in his recruiting campaign. On the morning of the 18th, six Buffalo amateurs were sworn into the Federal service and sent to the naval training station at Great Lakes, Ill. As soon as they complete their course of training they will be assigned to the radio stations in the Great Lakes region. The powerful call of a British warship somewhere off the Atlantic Coast was heard on the following night by Mr. West on the audion, sounding code signals. This is the receiving apparatus that has been installed for the main purpose of detecting wireless plants which have not complied with the order of the war department. Three operators have been using their plants during this week, but as no questions were asked and no call signals given, it was impossible to tell their location. The operators try various letters of the code each night and inquire as to their spark. It is expected they will be located soon, or either shut down their sets themselves.
We are all anxiously awaiting the word that will give us permission to again reopen our stations, and we hope that it will be soon. Meanwhile, let us fly old glory at the top of our masts in place of the aerial and patiently await the outcome of Uncle Sam's entry into this great war.