The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-06


was told in our dispatches from wash
ington q few days ago. 10 now pre-
pairing plans for an airship patrol to
guard the entire length Of the Allan
tic seaboard. A fleet OF aeroplanes is
contemplated. but while the machine
developed by the American Wrights
Is admittedly the superior Of all others.
this American government cannot now
buy the exclusive rights Of. this, Ameri-
can invention for all the gold in the
national treasury.
Here IL the story Of how the Amer
lean government lost the opportunity
of controlling and owning absolutely
the most effective war weapon In
vented since the discovery of gun
powder. It 10 the story OF how the
lethargy or mental stigmatism of q
government department deprived the
American people from leading the
world in methods of attack and de-
Tense. 1t L. story that is not long
reaching in results and a recital that
may henceforth arouse the govern
ment to the Importance OF recognize
ing the inventive genius that comes
knocking at its door.
What Q continental nation now owns
to the disquietude Of its netghboying
states, and much to its own satisfec-
ton, an American official CURLY de-
clined to consider.
Wright Brothers Snubbed.
Something like four years ago Will
bur and orvilie Wright, working upon
their plans for aerial flights. conceiy-
ed an idea that was almost an an
achronism In these days OF ct all
you can ana keep 1t. When they had
fully demonstrated the utility of their
invention they then realized that the
net result, II turned to account. might
make this country invulnerable to at
tack or certain Of victory whenever
a foe sailed the seas or set foot upon
American soil
It was the first thought that came
TO the brothers. The possibility OF
commercial gain, or great wealth.
were ideas foreign to the little home
circle of the quiet family. With that
Idea in view they indited letter to
the war department. This is the sub
stance of what they wrote:
I'VE have constructed an aeroplane
that will navigate the air. We offer
this invention. the plans and construc-
ton of which are known only to US.
to the exclusive use and ownership of
the United States for q period OF years.
and at a cost which will enable the
government to build 5000 aeroplanes
capable of carrying 200 pounds OF
dynamite for what is now one-fortieth
the cost of q single battleship."
These are not the exact words. but
II is the substance Of the offer they
made to the Washington authorities.
They were willing to build the aero
planes themselves and prove their
claims as to the utility of the inven-
ton. This they were willing to do for
a sum that would enable them to con-
tinue their work upon the secret plans,
and which they further agreed to turn
over to the government They re-
ceived in reply a curt refusal to con-
slider the proposition. nor did 1t have
time to send q board to Ohio to investi.
gate the claims OF - couple OF
cranks."
Eneouraged by Flint.
It was some time after this refusal
fhe Wfigxht brothers came BY APP
pointment to the residence Of Charles
r. Flint, of New York. Mr.. Flint had
long been impressed with the impor-
lance of forehandedness In matters
concerning war. 1t was ne VINO prior
TO the outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war. succeeded in obtaining options
ON many vessels then under construc-
ton in foreign shipyards-possible
warships for this governmentl-and 1t
was he who held the Russian govern
ment's power OF attorney for $780,
600. 900 for the purchase OF war
material just previous to the Russo
Japanese war
He had his eye on the Wright broth
ers from the beginning. So 1t hap
pened that Mr.. Ulysses s. Eddy. of his
firm, was visiting Dayton, at psy-
Geological moment, and rendered an
invitation to the young inventors to
visit New York and breakfast with
Mr.. Flint. At the breakfast many
things were commented upon, from
aviation to the weather and back to
aviation. The brothers impressed their
sagacious host as earnest. practical
men, who were not too scientific to
ignore the Importance OF experiment
tai work and not too experimental to-
undertake aerial flight without deter
mining scientific possibilities and
limitations. They also impressed him
as men who knew what they were
talking about
"Draw For $4,000.
The conversation progressed and.
though many questions were asked
and answered, there was no word mem
toned about contracts, exclusive
rights, ownership and such matters.
But when they left the breakfast
room Mr.. Flint quietly said:
You may draw upon our firm to
the amount of 100000.
Thus, 1t was that the Wrights were
launched. Patents were taken out.
and they were no longer compelled to
build bicycles to keep up their expert
ments with aeroplanes.
Then the problem of convincing the
nations began You can tell boy
how to ride a bicycle. but he can't
ride until he has learned the trick by
hard bumps and numerous falls. That
much of the secret was their own. To
use their own words: The object or
the 1905 experiments was to deter
mine the cause and discover the reme-
dies for several obscure and somewhat
rare difficulties which had been en-
countered in some of the 1904 flights,
and which 1t was necessary to over
come before 1t would be safe to en-
pIoy flyers of practical purposes"
A National Neglect.
Had the United States government
been in absolute possession of this
secret for the three succeeding years
and backed its proprietorship with the
enterprise that private firm would
have done, there would have been no
occasion for a japanese war scare, and
the nations of the world could not
have caught up with us in aerial war
eouipment for many years.
But we failed to seize the opportun-
ity.
And what happened?
A private firm got control OF the only
Wright airship that had demonstrated
its ability to navigate the air from a
given point to a given point, in all
kinds of wind, under its own propelllng
power and carrying load equal to 200
pounds.
The first move of the private ex-
Dloiters of the Wrights was to open