Norwich bulletin., 1915-07-13
Has Enlisted Edison's Genius
GREAT INVENTOR TO HEAD CIVIL.
 IAN ADVISORY BOARD.
FOR NAVY DEPARTMENT
Accepts Invitation from Secretary Dan- ieIs-one Problem is to Help to Meet Submarine Danser--A Patriotic Ser vice on the Part of Edison.


 vice on the Part of Edison.
 West Orange. N. J.. July 12.-Thomas A. Edison has accepted an invitation from Secretary Daniels to head an ad- V1Sory board of civilian inventors for a bureau of invention and development to be created in the navy department. His acceptance will go forward at once to Washington, where the new plans await word from the man who can turn dreams into realities"
 MT. Daniels idea of utilizing the in- ventive genius of Americans in and out of the naval service to meet conditions of warfare shown in the conflict on land and sea in Europe is outlined in a letter written last Wednesday ask service to his country, he would under take the task of advising the proposed bureau. The plan is to have several men prominent in special lines of in- ventiye research associated in the work.
 Submarine Warfare Problem.
 Among the great problems to be laid before the investigators, che secretary mentioned submarine warfare, adding that he felt sure that with Mir. Edi- sons wonderful brain to help them, the officers of the navy would be able
 lO meet lIllS new QAnkeI W1Ina ne" devices that will assure peace to our country by their effectiveness"
 T have been intending for some time,'' MT. 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 warlike sub jects except at the call of your own country. Such an attitude, in these a1l-tOo commercial times, is one that should be an inspiration to our young men and a lesson in the preeminent right of ones own country to the best that its citizens have that will be of tremendous benefit to us all" "-s Utilize American Inventiveness.
 "One of the imperative needs of the navy, in my judgment, is machinery and facilities for utilizing the nat ural inventive genius of Americans to meet the new conditions of warfare as shown abroad and it is my inten- tlon IT practlcal way can be worked out, as think it can be, to establish at the earliest moment, a department Of invention and development to which all ideas and suggestions, either from the service or from civilian in ventors, can be referred for deter | imitation as to whether they contain practical suggestions for us to take up and perfect. We, of course, re- ceive many suggestions, but our only way of handling them at present is to leave them to variousAbureaus already overcrowded with routine work and | It is not always possible to give the necessary attention to propositions l that are not so definitely worked out | as to make them immediately avail | able for the service. | There are, unfortunately, no off, cers now detailed, who can take time | from 10 nf as1I, i, are called on to do in order to devote 1t fully to studying the new sugges- | tlons and inventions The department is also unprovided with the best fa- | cilities of work of pure experimental | ton and investigation, with the excep- ton of our testing station at Annapo- | lis, which is, as yet. a small affair. | Most of all. as I have said, there is no particular place or particular body l of men, relieved of other work, charged solely with the duty of either devising new things themselves or perfectine the crude ideas that are submitted
 to the department by our naturally inventive people.
 Work Out Ideas to Practical Point.
 q have in mind a general plan of organizing such g. department which is still very hay as to details, but which in a general way meets, so faI l as the navy is concerned, with your ideas of such a department for the government in general I want to use such facilities for experimental and investigation work as we have not un- der the direction of men particularly selected for ability shown in this di- rection, to whom would be referred all | suggestions of new devices sent into | the department and who would work out such ideas to a practical point I feel that our chances of getting the public interested and back of this pro- | ject will be enormously increased if we can have, at the start. some man il whose inventive genius is recognized | by the whole world to assist us in con-
 sultation from time to time on mat ters of sufficient importance to bring | to his attention. You are recognized by all of us as the one man above
 all others who can turn dreams into
 mand, in addition to his own wonder
 full mind, the finest facilities in the world for such work.
 Not to Bother with Trivial Matters 'What I want to ask 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 tc I be of value but which we are not at present, equipped to investigate cilities in such investigation if you feel it1worth while.
 | Thanks of the Country.
 -For our part, we will endeavor- no eo bother you with trivial matters, al we will probably have sufficient facili.
 ties to handle such small matters ei they come up. This is a great deal ts ask and I, unfortunately, have nothing
 but the thanks of the navy and. think Of the country at large, together Wfti
 the feeling of service to your countr1 that you will have. to offer you b, way of recompense, yet so clearly hav' you shown your patriotism and you unse1ish loyalty to your country's in terests that feel justified In imaidni this request.
 -we are confronted with a new and terrfble engine of warfare 1u the sub marine. to consider only oneSof the bil
 things which have in mind, and feel sure that, with the practical know.
 ledge of the officers of the navy. with {
 department composed of the keenes
 and most inventive minds that we car gather together, and with your owl 1rrfndpf@fr4i brain fo aid f1a the Limited