Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-14
.COUNTRY's INVENTIVE
GENIUS TO Be Modified
Daniels Hopes to Get Master Minds
Working for Benefit Of
Navy.
PLAN is WIDELY DISCUSSED
Proposed Civilian Board. With Edi-
son as Head. Meets With Unani.
nous Approval-Not Yet. Ready to
Announce Other Selections.

WASHINGTON, July Rehabilitation
Of the country's inventive genius to
aid in working out naval problems. as
proposed by Secretary Daniels was dis
cussed widely to-day by officials of both
the army and navy. and the selection of
Thomas A. Edison as head of tho
civilian advisory board met with unani-
nous approval.
Secretary Daniels now is preparing
to invite other noted inventors and
technical experts to join in the work.
lJ5e. would not-aay Yes, or "n3" to a
f'dozsn nam es So Z estcd 10 him, F'doula1r:-
ing he would make known the other
| members of the advisory board only
after their acceptances had been re-
ceived.
''As stated in my letter to Mr..
Edison" said the secretary tonight, "I
am not prepared to announce full de-
tails Of the plan. An informal confer
ence was held to-day with the chiefs
of the Bureaus of Ordnance, Steam En-
gineering and Construction and Repair,
and I expect TO announce the organ
ization In a more definite way in a
short time.
THE country does not yet know the
far-reaching and important expert
mental work done by Admirals Griffin,
Strauss and Taylor. They and their
assistants for months have been study
Ing every new development brought out
BY the war in Europe. and already they
have contributed to increased naval
efficiency. They will be given addi-
tional experts to carry on this develop
ment work they have been doing with
ability and success.
The selection of the members of the
advisory committee requires careful
thought, but 1 hope to announce them
shortly. With Mr.. Edison SO willingly
and cheerfully responding, / feel sure
that the advisory counsel, when the
names are all selected, will be com
posed Of men of such prominence as
to make the country feel that what IL
Is possible for the human mind TO de-
wise will be devised for our navy
Among the names suggested to Mr.
Daniels as possible members OF the new
board were those of Charles p Stein
metz. one of the worlds authorities on
electrical engineering; Hudson Maxim
inventor and maker of guns and ex-
plosives; Orville Wright. one Of two
brothers who led the world in aero
plane flight; Simon Lake. submarine
inventor; Lewis Nixon. shipbulder and
former naval officer; Alexander aham
Bell. inventor Of the telephones; John
Hays Hammond. Jr.. and r. 4 Fessen
den, radio communication EXPERTS: J. p
Walker. editor of scientific magazine
and an inventor of note and n score OF
others.
Attention was called to-day to an
act of Congress prohibiting the ac
ceptance by the government of VOL
untary services. AS there is no pro-
vision for remuneration for the pro
posed board, it was suggested that tho
law might prove an obstacle and re-
quire specific authorization by Con-
gress. Mr.. Daniels said ho had not
examined the law, but he thought IL
would be possible to avoid conflict with
it.
The BULK OF the work in testing now
devices and reviewing suggestions viii,
fall on the department itself the Sec
rotary explained, and for that reason
he contemplates creating n bureau ne
invention and development to which
the civilian experts will he an advIsorv
board.
Mr.. Daniels indicated that ne had NOT
yet developed anything like n complete
working plan for the bureau lie has
In view, however, concentration Of such
navy experimental stations as the coal
testing plant at Annapolis, the tank
for testing hull models at the navy
yard here, and the acrodrome. whore
s'"dies IN air currents arc made. in one
great experimental laboratory
At the War Department il was point
ca out that n bureau similar to that
contemplated for the navy had been
In operation for many years and
achieved notable results.