The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-07-20

en- the attention they deserve, as
there is at present no adequately
equipped department to which to send
them for the careful study required.
Naval Officers Would Help.
''In addition, our naval officers, par
ticularly those at sea, are in a position
to note where improvements are need
ed and to devise ways in which these
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. Were there a place
where they could be sent to be worked
out and perfected am sure we would
get many noteworthy improvements
from this source alone.
eve have, of course, In the Navy
Department energetic and wideawake
bureaus, headed by experts in their
particular lines of work, who devote
all the time they possibly can to a
study of this problem. They have
made important contributions to the
naval warfare and are doing all that
is possible with their other large du-
ties. There are unfortunately no of
ficers now detailed who can take
time from the mass of work which
they are called upon to do in order to
devote it fully to studying new sug-
gestions and inventions.
No Men Charged With This Duty.
This department is also unprovid.
ed with the best facilities for work of
pure experimentation and investiga-
ton, with the exception of our testing
station at Annapolis, which is as yet
a small affair. Most of all, as l have
said, there is no particular place or
particular body of men, relieved of
other work, charged solely with the
duty of either devising new things
themselves or perfecting the crude
ideas that are submitted to the de-
partment by our naturally inventive
people
Il have in mind a general plan of
organizing such a department which
is still very haZy as to details, but
which, in a general way, meets, so
far as the navy is concerned, with
your ideas of such a department for
the Government in general. | want
to use such facilities for experimental
work and investigation work as we
have, under the direction of men par
ticularly selected for ability shown
in the direction, to whom would be
referred all suggestions of new de-
vices sent in to the department, and
who would work out such ideas to a
practical point.
News an Inventive Genius.
81 feel that our chances of getting
the public interested in and back OF
this project will be enormously in
creased if we can have, at the start,
some man whose inventive genius is
recognized by the whole world to as
sist in consultation from time to time
on matters of sufficient Importance to
bring to his attention. You are recog-
nized by all of us as the one man
above all others who can turn dreams
into realities, and who has at his COM
mand, in addition to his own wonder
full mind the finest facilities in the
world for such work.
What l want to ask is if you would
be willing, as a service to your coun-
try, to act as an adviser to this board,
to take such things as seem to you to
be of value but which we are not, at
present equipped to investigate, and
to use your own magnificent facilities
in such investigation if you feel it
worth while.
Has Only Thanks To Give Him.
For our part, we will endeavor
not to bother you with trivial matters,
as we will probably have sufficient
facilities to handle such small mat
tiers as they come up. This is a great
deal to ask, and |, unfortunately, have
nothing but the thanks of the navy
and, | think, of the country at large
together with the feeling of service
to your country that you will have
to offer you by way of recompense