Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-13
ACCEPTS NATIONS CALL,
Edison 20 Make Engines Of War Fo
Use OF United States.

Edison TO Make Engines Of War For
Use Of United States.
West. Orange. N. J.. July 13.-Thomas
A. Edison has accepted an invitation
from Secretary Daniels to head an ad-
visorys board Of civilian inventors for q
oureau Of invention and development
to be created in the department.
Among the great problems to be laid
before the investigators the secretary
mentioned submarine warfare, adding
that he felt sure that with Mr. Edison's 8
wonderful brain to help them the Of
ficers Of the navy would be able ito
meet this new danger with new devices
that will assure peace to our country
by their effectiveness"
81 have been Intending for some
time" Mr.. Daniels said in his letter.
ito write you expressing my admira-
ton at the splendid and patriotic atti-
tude you have taken, as reported in
the public press. in refusing to devote
your great inventive genius to war
like subjects except at the call Of your
own country.
Inspiration to Young. !,
"Such an attitude in these all too
commercial times, Is one that should be
an inspiration to our young men and
q lesson in the pre-eminent right OF
ones own country to the best that its
citizens have that will be Of tremen-
dous benefit to us all. I have deferred
writing you, however, because at the
time wanted to take up with you an
other matter to which have given q
great deal of thought-a matter in
which think your ideas and mine
coincide, II an interview with you re-
Gently published in the New York
Times was correct.
There 10 very great service you
can render the navy and the country
at large and which am encouraged
to believe, from a paragraph in Mr..
Marshall's interview. you will consent
to undertake. as It seems to be In line
with your own thoughts.
New Warfare Conditions.
"One Of the imperative needs of the
navy. in my judgment. is machinery
and facilities for utilizing the natural
the new conditions Of warfare as
shown abroad, and It is my intention.
IL . practical way can he worked out,
as think it can be, to establish, a.
the earliest moment a department Of
Invention and development, to which
all ideas and suggestions, either from
the service or from civilian inventors,
can be referred, for determination as to
whether they contain practical sug-
festions for us to take up and perfect.
ss I'VE; Of course, receive many sug-
j gestions, but our only way Of handling,
them at present Is to leave them to
various bureaus already overcrowded
with routine work, and 1t is not al
WAYS possible to give the necessary
attention to propositions that are not
90 dednltely worked out as to make
them Immediately available for the
service. y
Need Of Inventions.
ideas which contain the germ of
Improvement can not always be given
the attention they deserve; as there in
at present no adequately equipped de-
partment to which to send tlbam for
the careful study required.
In addition, our naval officers, par
ticularly those at sea, are in posi-
ton to note where improvements are
needed, and to devise ways in which
those improvements can be made.
They have. however, neither the time
nor the special training nor, in many
cases, the natural inventive turn of
mind needed to put these ideas into
definite shape.
OSsicero Nav0ns iT.s.
Were there place where they
could be sent to be worked out and
perfected. am sure we would get
many noteworthy Improvements from
II. - - 49, y E