The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-06
AMERICAN INVENTORS
SIGHTED BY AMERICANS
oso the United States Let Sip Opportunity to Control
ExcusiDeb the Wright Aeroplans, GafLns Cum Eotch-
kiss Gun and Holland Submayine- Other Exam-
Piles of Great Mistakes Made at Home.

France and ultimately italy and Ger
many. The following letter. written
by the English representative Of the
Wrights American agents. is interest
Ing:
II have just returned from Admiralty
and dispatched wire OF this date. and
now write full particulars. Inclosed
the letter OF appointment. My receipt
ion was most kind and encouraging,
and Lord Tweedmouth appeared much
interested and examined the printed
account Of wright's aeroplane. On
the face Of II he pointed out that tho
Admiralty 10 provided with direct
wireless teiegraphy code and apparatus
which 10 BY degrees being afixed to all
their ships. which would entirely SUI
percede the necessity for dispatch
bearing By aeroplane.
He suggested. however, that II It
were made strong enough and power
full enough to carry several shells, your
instrument would become most useful,
especially on land, for. said he, sea
aeroplane would hardly have time to
drop the shell on board before the ship
has passed from under the aeroplane.
He was struck by the proposed
trip starting from a ships deck and
returning to II, but said a ships deck
Is yer ysmall place to return in mid.
ocean. meaning. I suppose. that the re-.
turn to so smafi a spot was uncer.
could make their aeroplane a weight
carrier for men or shells II would
greatly infiuense the War once in ma.
king decision. Lord Tweedmouth's
manner toward the invention was much
more cordial than Haldane's."
German Emperor Eager.
In the meantime the German Emper-
Ia. L. ~
Wright brothers. The secret of Eng
| lish lethargy in the matter was that
the government had secretly contract
| ed to get possession of q power-pro
PEELED dirigible aeroplane and have the
demonstration prove a hasco. This
was bit OF strategy that the War
| ONCE connected In order to give assur-
ance to the people that the Count Yep
pelin and German activities were not
to be feared. Then. too. General Ba-
den-Poweli was making some expert
ments, and the English were averse to
| acknowledging Yankee supremacy In
the air. or anywhere else.
The Wrights were offered 100000
TO make demonstration at the Lon
| don stadium AN offer they declined.
declaring that they were not showmen
nor experimenters.
Rights for France.
A seni-official French banker. Lag
ard Weller. stepped intn the arena and
| offered the Wrights 100000 If they
would make flight Of nifty kilometers
| on French soil. with a view to purchas-
ing the rights for France in the event
of success.
The tests were made at Pau. The
Wrights were paid 100000 and given
rs per cent of the stock of the French
company. which form of procedure
was carried out in Italy. and also In
Germany. the latter country to be CIV
en- the Wright patents and the Wrights
methods this fall. The Washington
government has now purchased one of
the Wright aeroplanes, which 1t will
fly at Fort Myer this summer.
So after Ave years, and the loss of
Its great opportunity. the United States
is to possess one aeroplane for war
purposes; an aeroplane which 1t buys
much as II would a piece OF ordinance.
For now 1t is impossible to buy the
rights that once were offered through
promptings Of patriotism.
ScoRed att Hotchkiss.
This is not bNeany means thes 1irst
valuable military invention to be
brought out by American genius only
to be lost to the American government.
Congress and its politics are mainly
responsible for the fact that SO many
valuable inventions of Americans 20 to
aid foreign governments"
Such was the sorrowful explanation
OF an officia1 high In the military serv-
ice of the country. He cited several
instances in support of his contention.
His name cannot be used.
I'm the first place." he said, I'VE
scoffed at the Hotchkiss gun. It was
an excellent piece of artillery ana the
plan was the best in existence. But
We procrastinated until the inventor
was forced to 90 abroad for apprecia.
tion. His idea was appreciated i'm
mediately on the other side as being
one of great value and he won almost
instant recognition, AS a result this
government was forced to get In line
and equip itself with the self-same
guns after other governments had al
ready been armed. If we had seized
the opportunity to get the exclusive
right to manufacture and use the
weapon we would have had an artillery
force that would have been superior to
anv In the world.
The Case - Maxim.
Another case was that OF Hiram
Maxim. He Is now Sir Hiram, as a re-
suit of being driven from his country
to England, where he was recognized
as an inventive genius and treated ac-
| cordingly. When Maxim offered to the
United States his rapid-firing gun he
| was scoffed at ana ignored. No one
would take up his idea seriously. all
though the Maine Yankee was known
| to be an inventor Of remarkable abil.
| ity. Finally he became discouraged.
Then he went to England. where he
was instantly taken In hand and en-
| couraged to do his best. Everything