Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-13
IHor1As ADDISON

Thomas A. Edison has accepted an
invitation from Secretary Daniels.
made in a letter written last Wednes-
day. to head an advisory board of
civilian inventors for bureau of in
vention and development to- be Great
ed in the Navy Department
Announcement by Mr. Edison of his
acceptance of Secretary Daniels in
vitation was received with gratifica-
ton by naval officials. Secretary
Daniels was especially pleased because
upon Mr.. Edison's acceptance depend
ed almost entirely the development of
the Secretary's plan of utilizing the in
ventive genius of the country to aid
in perfecting the navy as d fighting
machine.
Mr.. Daniels. who appealed to Mr..
Edison to undertake the task on pa
the perfection of his plaru. Details of
the proposed organiZat ton, however,
VIII not be completed until the Secre-
tary has had an opportunity to con-
fer with Mr. Edison, which he hopes to
do very soon. 1t is planned to have
men prominent in special lines of in
ventive and research work associated
with the bureau. several names al
ready being under consideration.
Secretary Notified of Acceptance.
Mr.. Edison regards the invitation ex-
tended him by Secretary Daniels to
head an advisory board of naval inven-
ton as call to the service of his
country. NJ. r. S. Hutchison, personal
representative of Mr.. Edison, called on
Secretary Daniels today and informed
him of Mr.. Edison's acceptance of the
invitation.
..Nr. Hutc.iison told me-" said Sec
reta::- I.anie!s, that Mr.. Edison re-
gard-.d my invitation as a call to duty
and that he would be glad to render
any service possible 10 his country. Mr..
Hutchison further stated that Mr..
Edison would oe :ery glad to send in
few days :, -ep!y TO my letter of in
vitation.'
Secretary Daniels early today con-
ferred with Rear Admirals Strauss,
charged with ordnance. construction,
engineering and electricity, as to the
best way to get the benefits of the
advice of citizen inventors such as is
now to be formed with Mr.. Edison at
its head
As to the other advisory members to
be invited, Secretary Daniels said he
was not ready TO make any announce
ments But he felt assured that other
men "as nearly eminent" as Edison
would respond TO the call to duty. He
expects to make announcements con-
cernng the others in a few days. When
names of men prominent in certain lines
were suggested to him, the Secretary
aaid. he would not speculate at all, but
would wait until he was ready TO make
known acceptances.
DR.. Bell Among Those Mentioned.
Among those mentioned were Alex
ander Graham Bell. Simon Lake, Or
willie Wright, Prof. r. A Fessenden
John Hays Hammond. jr.: Hudson Max:
i'm ard Henry Ford. Dr. Bell, beside
his invention of the telephone, is a
wide worker in the field of science; Mr.
Lakes name is associated with sub.
marines, Mr.. Wright, it was suggested
would work on aerial problems, Prof
Fessenden is a wireless expert Mr.
Hammond has conducted successful ex-
periments with high explosives and
with device for controlling the
courses OF torpedoes and even ships by
wi:eless. Hudson Maxim works with
| explosives and Mr.. Ford is an expert il
gasoline engine construction, fea-
utre of naval aero experiments which
will be prominent
What we want to do in this matter
said the Secretary, "is to appeal to th|
American inventive genius to work fol
the navy and to study what we ough
| to do. We want them to give us tn,
best that they can. Already since thi,
war began much has been done Will
our own resources. What has beer
done in the last three months has no
yet appeared. and work that is goin,
/ on, under supervision of our own ex
! perts and engineers, will continue. Blu
! the idea of the advisory board will b,
| to extend into the realms of the un
| known in naval construction and posi-
| bilities of naval warfare. We wan
| the advice OF genius as to new lines
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