Evening star., 1915-07-28
Former Editor of "Invention"
Criticises Plan While
Praising It.
CLAIMS GREAT INVENTIONS
ARE BY "UNKNOWN MEN"
And Cites Instances to Prove That
This Glass Has Often Been Dis
criminated Against.

Joseph j. O'Brien of this city, men,
Der of the Franklin Institute of Phila-
delphia, and formerly editor of Inven-
tion, has written a letter to the Secre-
tary of the Navy warmly commencing
his general scheme for acquiring "the
full creative energies of the inventors
and scientists of the United States,
but criticising the limitation of the
membership in the civilian advisory
Soard to certain named scientific So
cieties. He says it does not seem pos
sible to obtain the object sought
through the representatives of these
societies. and points out that many of
the really great inventions have come
from the class of unknown men," who
were vigorously opposed by the scien-
tihc and technical leaders to whom
the inventions had been referred.
The record of every pioneer inven-
ton" said Mr. O'Brien, "is one of heart
breaks. For years the patent office
refused to grant patents on heavier
than-air machines; and in one case
held that the proposal of an inventor
to operate a machine heavier than air
by its own power to produce flight
was like that of a man trying to lift
himself by pulling on his boot-straps
The Project of Capt. Fads.
The project of Capt. Eads to open
the mouth of the Mississippi by jetties
was bitterly fought by the leading off,
cial experts, and it was owing to his
great prestige and ample financial re-
sources that Capt. Eads was able to
overcome opposition and assume the
burden of building the jetties, under
special contract.
"The natural interest of the govern
ment should be to acquire machine
guns and inventions designed to dimin
ish the need for human sacrifice. or the
need for a large body of regular SOL
diers. But, and the fact is astounding,
every inventor OF workable machine
gun, Gatling, Maxim, Lewis, has met
with opposition at the hands of the
government.
Maxim Rejected in Washington.
THE lesson of Maxim first appealing
to Washington and then, on rejection,
going to England and being there
knighted, should be remembered at this
time. when America should try to sum-
mon all its power of origination and
development, not merely to insure it's
peace and well being, but to stimulate
Its progress and prosperity. 1t was
necessary for Ericsson to appeal to
President Lincoln to secure considera-
tien Of his turret invention. and my
information is that he actually paid
the initial costs of building the Moni-
tor.
officer Of the government a communi-
cation referred by the President to
him. which asks for consideration of a
new system Of national .defense, as
the turret. For two months this ap-
peal has remained unanswered. except
&0r formal acknowledgment that the
communication was filed.
Tragedy in Air Trials.
'The tragedy of the Wright aero
plane trials should be avoided. 1t is
recalled that the War Department in
vited a demonstration of heavier-than-
air flight machines. and that the
Wright brothers entered their machine.
The contract called for a speed Of
forty-ive miles an hour. express speed:
the machine was required to make this
speed over very restricted area and
to carry a passenger in making it. In
the trial machine with Mr.. Wright and
Lieut.. Selfridge aboard suddenly col
lapsed. while rounding one Of the
sharp curves compelled by the cruel
suit Lieut.. selfridge was killed and
Mr.. Wright escaped death with seri-
Gus injuries. 1t would seem in this
case that the object sought--a sue
CSSSful derOpl6Ne-WOulQ nave JuStlHeO
much easier trial conditions; that a
sustaining. controllable and guidable
flight of the machine would have been
sufficient: rather than a forty-dve-m
speed. with passenger and over
dition been offered Lieut.. Selfridge
would not have been killed"
Favors Direct Correspondence.
Mr.. O'Brien says that in many cases
inventors are not free to make pub
lic appeal: they are not free to enter
into negotiations with other nations
or to incorporate a company to promote
their inventions. 1t should be the pol
icy Of the government, he says, to en-
courage and justify direct correspond
ence, rather than to snugly shelve Of
fers or impose conditions or obstacles
which compel inventors to appeal for
private support.
He urges strongly that the Franklin
Institute of Philadelphia be invited to
board on the ground it is "the one
scientific society In the United States
which can make the widest and strong
est appeal to all classes of inventors
and '1s the only established scientific
institution in America which offers an
open door to the struggling unknown
inventor. which offers to and does ex-
anime and report on new inventions
and discoveries Of every kind, and
which awards certificates Of merit and
medals of honor for worthy achieve.
ments."
I'm considering your appeal for CO.
operation" said Mr.. OBr1en, "experi.
enced inventors will take the above
facts into the discussion. They will
ask. and rightly so. whether an inven.
tion submitted by any independent in.
ventor will be passed upon by an ex.
part representing a government con-
tractor who will be adversely affected
BY the adoption Of the invention. .Yor
cannot expect inventors to submit new
inventions to q board of interested per
sons. whether they be inventors ol
not"