The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04

polite 10 go TO Washington and to in
form the chief OF the bureau OF ord
nance OF his company's intention.
When he mentioned his action 10 the
head Of that bureau there was an out
burst and the gun remained at the
pant. That development had cost
Bet llehem d tidy sum-. and the con-
.ern was naturally DESTROYS OF maxi
ing something out OF 1t. Fortunately.
the British naval attache had reported
enthusiastically to his Government.
What follows should be OF interest.
The matter was taken up with the
director OF ordnance at the Admiralty
In London. then Capt. J~ellicoe-now
Admiral Sir John r. Jellicoe. He said:
You know the Government itself does
not do this work. l am very much
interested In the apparatus. and
recommend that you put the matter
before the Coventry Works. Have
them equip a gun with the device SO
that we can try It out
This was done: the Admiralty was
immensely pleased with the showing:
and. Immediately after this approval,
ARRANGEMENTS were made TO provide
the new sHips VI tho "ee'
improved rapid n framing
gear or American design: ~ wac
only after the BRUSH a phus sol
the pace that the United States navy
saw At to follow suit, and even Their
the bureau Of ordnance fused away
in a clumsy fashion with notifications
OF its own creating. Mark you. this
Is only one instance out Of hundreds
you see, IN Il private Pi"ht .ne
head OF each department must justify
his n expenditures In all matters
pertaining to experimenting ana oe-
veloping, and this accountability stirnu,
latcs rivalry among the persohhei ano
g 7 to max good IN tht
like bureaus OF the war ana the
Navy Departments TINS order OF pro
cedure does not prevail Money II
often wasted, n no SUBORDINATE
would dare TO persist IN seeking Yes
for some invention no matter no"
firmly he believed IN It's worth II H''
superiors had oHHahe
against 1t.
Mark YOU there are plenty o.
bright minds III the TWO services ane
II they are hampered by remaining II
those arms or the hatiohai oelehce
then the government Is NOT get''ht
its proper return Tor the salaries pal'
these orncers' Let those men go GU
into civil lie "here theS Will nave I
larger he!d ana where 'hey VIII p'
properly judged by the FRUITS or thei'
Efforts Then the country VIII De th'
gamer, Tor they must make good IN or
der 10 Ola theIr JOBS III the "orlu oI
trade"
In the ordnance corps of the army
professional conservatism amounts a
times substantially TO Antagonist
toward ans military invention origi'
mating outside of that body of experts
This attitude is not confined alone tC
the civilian approaching thai august
corps. A year or more before our wal
with Spain Capt, Isaac n. Lewis OF
the artillery perfected Il range finder
He was inspired to labor upon that in
vention by reason of the lack OF s
-iLSble instrument of that sort in
the CnlLcd States army Capt. Lewis
had a CEla sized family and only hi!
pay. and IN GTder 10 obtain funds Il
carry on his expensive Developments
work he actually pledged his life IN
suranCe. When the xstrument wa
completed he offered n N the War De
pnrtment, asking only that he h" re-
| imbursed for his actual outlayA We
was unselflshly interested in Nt
prope equipping of the army. The
chief of ordnance turned the prefer
down. and failing ia get satisfactory
consideration capt, Lewis dropped the