Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-10-02

in the country would offer his invent
ion to the navy for consideration by
The Department"
Annapolis Experts.
Mr.. Edison and Mr. Hutchison both
called attention TO the fact that the or
ganization of the board of experts is in
no way an implication that the navy is
lacking Annapolis trained experts Of
its own. II is Mr. Edison's idea, how
ever, that the board, including as it
does scientific specialists OF interna-
tIonal fame. can lend invaluable aid TO
the Department because of the life
work the members have given. each 10
a specialty.to research work and devel-
opment ana laboratory surroundings
and equipment not always available in
The general research work of the navy.
Gradutes OF Annapolis. il was oointed
out, are among the twenty-three mem
bers ON the board
in fact the navy and the board.
suggested Mr. Hutchinson. might be lik-
ened to medical case: The navy is the
general practitioner and the board
member TO whom the Department sub
mits an idea is. say. a stomach special
ist Even the specialist. you know,
sometimes calls other specialists into
consultation Also general practition-
ers and specialists alike are not com
PEELED to follow the advice of the man
called into consultation
Mr., Edison believes that the appoint
gr.rtf oil ,F II A 4,
the proper scientific calibre as naval
head of the work in hand would 80 far
toward facilitating the organization
and operation of the new work of re-
search and development which the Sec
retarv Of the Navy and the board have
in mind. Surrounding this naval board
according to Mr.. Edison's ideas. should
be a staff OF naval officers, each one a
specialist in his work
Then if a navy man or civilian should
suggest a new idea for defense or Of
fense the idea. ifA1r Edison's suggest
ions for procedure are adopted, would
be turned over to the naval head. who
would submit it TO the member of his
staff OF naval officers best fitted to pass
unon the idea
When the staff aids have separated
the obviously impracticablc ideas from
those worth looking into, Mr.. Edison be
lieves that other staff aids who are
experts in the branches of science Will
which the suggested ideas are concern
ed shoul6 make a further investigation
of the ideas that seem good. their ex-
| pert knowledge perhaps permitting
them to recommend definite action in
| the naval head
"WhOIe Idea Simple"
| Right here according tC the Edison
idea, is whore the civilian board mem
bers, as individuals. or members, may
be called into the work In case the
naval head believes it desirable TO have
further information or advice. Mr.. Edi-
son suggests that the naval head sub
nit the the idea to a civilian consulting
expert whose life work is such that this
advice would be OF help to the Navy
| Department
| With the yes" OF the civilian expert
at hand the naval heads next move,
| Mr.. Edison thinks, would be to refer
the idea to the Secretary of the Navy,
and if the decision is to go ahead with
the development Of the idea. all the
papers, etc. are then 10 be placed in
the hands of the commanding officer Of
the laboratory which the board hopes
the navy viii acquire through Con
gressional appropriation
The development and trial of the in
vention submitted would then be made
by the naval laboratory forces. In Mr..
Edison's plan, lastly before an invent
ion is accepted or rejected, it should
have the 0. X. of the Secretary of the
Navy.
"The whole idea of the consulting
board" Mr.. Edison concluded before
turning again to his beloved chem
icals and retOrts, "is so sane and so
simple that l don't see how any mis-
conceptions concerning it could have
Iarisen. We're not inventing and were
not even going to Develop inventive
ideas submitted Navy men or civil
ians will offer the idea to the navy, tho
Inavy will look into them and the navy
will If Congress appropriates tho
money for laboratory and other equip
ment now needed-develop and try oui
and adopt inventions of merit In he
tween, however, the civilian board mem
bers, who. in addition to their owl
knowledge, have the knowledge Of the
10000 or so engineers whom they rep
resent to call upon also, will give ex
pert advice to the navy whenever th'
navy desires it."
/ Colonial. Saturday matinee ant