New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-23
Auto Builder Edison Rival
in Search for Device to
Drive Submarines.
PILOTLESS PLANES
HIS CURE FOR WAX
Control by Wireless, lie Says
Would Mean Enemy'S Depopu-
latiOn-SeeS Wilson.
From Tie Tribune Bureau !

Washington. Sept %. A good
natured rivalry between Henry Ford
and Thomas a. Edison began to-day,
when Mr Ford declared that gasolene
motors could be made practical as IA
means Of underwater propulsion for
submarines. II Mr. Ford is right. It
will do away with the present dual
propulsion system, and will, therefore,
render MIR. Edison's new storage bat
terry unnecessary.
Submarines are now EQUIPPED WI"
electric batteries and motors Tor use
when submerged ana with oil engines
for surface propulsion. The duaI Sys-
TEN Is clumsy, expensive and mem
cient. but has been thought necessary
because electricity is the only motIVe
mower which does not send bubbles TO
The surface through the exhaust ana
hetrav the presence of the submarine.
Mr. Ford did not say how he proposed
10 do away with this objection 70 the
use Of gas engines for underwater pro-
pulsion.
Mr.. Ford, although a peace advocate
is already deep in the subject oil the
national defence, and has pledged ms
suDDort both to the President and 10
Secretary Daniels to the plans lot
greater efficiency IN the navy am
doing all in my power TO make war
impossible." said Nj Ford to-day, but
] belong to the United states OF amer
lea, and if my country thinks my ser
vices are of any value am gIad 70
offer them
Secretary Daniels called in all the
principal officers on duty at the Navy
Department, including Admlral Dewey
and the chiefs of the bureaus, TO near
what Mr.. Ford had 10 say about gaso-
lene motors. After the conference me
party went over 20 the WHITE rouse
for a chat with the President. Mr.. tord
told President Wilson hls views on
world peace. and expressed the pelleI
that il was Americas duty to make
it reality. J.,
Secretary Daniels was greatly i'm
pressed with what Mr.. Ford had to say
about motors and submarines ana IN
vited Mr. Ford 10 make a dlve I'D one
of tho K-boats at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard tomorrow. Mr. Ford accepted
with n view to learning something
about submarine construction and OPP
Grafton. and thus to get material for
his work on new type OF engine.
Mr. Ford started his conversation
with Secretary Daniels to-day with the
declaration that nothing that Is con-
ceivable is impossible. NO man ever
had an idea that couldn't be worked
ont " he said. And then he went on 10
eneak of an idea that had just come
to him for pilotless aeeroplane;,
OF course, it would be driven by
qasolene engine. But. instead of hu-
man pilot. the machine would be con-
trolled entirely by wireless. Bombs
would be dropped at will, simply by
the pressure Of a button miles away
and the machine could take photo
grapbic observations and return to its
base without loss Of life except on
the enemy's side. !.
even if the apparatus were de- de-
stroved." said the automobile man, 1T
would mean nothing. We would have
thousands of them they woul d lost
only about two cents pound. A tnlnS
like that would make war impossible;
il would show people the folly Of war.
1t would mean depopulation If war
were engaged in.
81 believe there is ingenuity enough
in the United States to depopulate the
The "pill-on-a-pole" idea for sub