davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1917-10-21
Inventions Now Deal
Mostly With Explosives.

Inventions are classified according to
their subject matter. and each class is
submitted to a committee of the con-
sulting board selected for their special
qualifications to pass judgment upon
that particular class OF inventions.
Inventions in aeronautics go to the
committee on aeronautics. Inventions
in ship construction go to the commit
tee on ship construction: chemical in
ventfons to the committee on chemistry.
Inventions in ordnance and explosives
go to the. committee of which happen
to be chairman. s=
Probably more inventions come to
this committee than to any other. Many
inventors who send their devices have
wrong idea Of the duties and powers
of the naval consulting board. The func-
ton of the naval consulting board Is
entirely advisory.
When committee of the naval con-
sulting board flnds.. in its opinion, a
device to be new and to possess sum-
cient promise of. value to warrant its
further development at the expense of
the government. for the benefit of the
government, then the committee recon-
mends to tho proper bureau or depart
ment Of the.Navy that the device or in
ventfon be experimented with and, II
found useful, utilized.
If the officers Of the Navy to whom the
device comes from the naval consulting
board hold an opposite opinion, then,
OF course, the matter goes no further,
for the naval consulting board has no
function or power beyond giving ad-
vice.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
every inventor is highly enthusiastic
about his devices.
Some Writers Solve
Problems by Hundreds.

I recently received q letter from
man in country district In England
submitting crazy contraption for solv-
ing one Of the great problems of the
war. and ne informed me that he had
up hfs sleeve 40 more which he would
send me II would promise to get them
utilized by the government, and If
would not DO that then he would send
them all to me II would promise to
get the Scientific American to publish
the entire lot and give them to the
world. He said he wanted to offer
them first to Uncle Sam. and did not
want the Germans to know anything
about them. but II Uncle Sam should
not be .perspicuous enough, to appre-
cfate and utilize them then he wanted
Sam. in spite of any use that the Ger
mans might make of the Information.
I have just received a letter from
man in the far west giving me List
Of about a dozen of the biggest war
problems that he has solved. but he Is
rather timid about trusting them to
anybody without adequate insurance to
himself as the beneficiary.
II these gentlemen would apply Tor
United States patents for their respect
i've devices the patent office would
serve as q cooler to their ardor. The
United States patent office is the great
est eGotism-killer in the world, the
greatest dampener Of enthusiasm, be-
cause It Is the greatest illuminator in
the world regarding the newness and
usefulness OF inventions of every sort
and description: .........-...
will be- of such. great service to him
with respect to any invention as the
fling of an application for a United
States patent upon it.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
BY HUDSON MAXIM.

The great war has immensely stimu-
lated every industry, but more than
any other it has probably stimulated
the industry OF invention. The veriest
country Reuben. when he reads In the
papers about the seriousness Of the
U-boat menace. the operation of air
craft over England and the various en-
cheering problems involved in trench
warfare. attacks these problems and
tries to solve them for himself.
He is often darkly ignorant OF the
state Of development of the art which
he enters as an inventor. and the
chance of his inventing or discovering
something both new and useful Is very
small indeed. But. just as every plant
that bears fruits owes its origin to the
one seed in a million that happened to
strike the right spot and find root. so
the great inventions that have revolu-
tionized that greatest of all industries
war-have each Of them sprung from
some one in q million mental seeds that
has found root in a fertile mind.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
ALL PEOPLE OF AMERICA
ASKED TO INVEST IN LOAN
Sacrifice of the Lives Of Seventy-Sev.
en- Seamen Under q. S. Flag
Cited in Appeal.
To the Editor of The Star.

10 the Edltor OF The Star:
With seventy-seven of our fellow Cit
fzens sleeping beneath the Atlantic that
our democracy may live, today more
keen1y than yesterday we feel the
meaning of the war. Theirs has been
the supreme sacrifice. And their mis-
sion and duty is our mission and duty.
All. little and great. who make our
grand republic. must do their part, no
matter what the sacrifice. Those who
perforce remain at home may never
theless enlist and enlist effectively In
the struggle for liberty by helping
Uncle Sam to feed and clothe, arm and
+. equip those who go to battle, and re-
member that those who go to battle are
.of us and for US. our kith and kin In
hopes and ideals.
''All governments derive their Just
powers from the consent of the gov
, erned." says Uncle Sam, land SO I ask
you to lend me of your own free will
your money by buying liberty bonds
bearing good interest, to serve the
cause of democracy and freedom
. neither tax nor confscate but ask my
children freely 10 give of their means that
may support my sons who voluntari-
ly at my bidding enter the carnage"
Free men ready to do and die. not for
conquest or ambition. but that the
world may be made safe for democracy
built upon manhood Buy liberty bonds
for we are one and the welfare of our
nation family is menaced And that ex-
preston may be given to our heartfelt
sympathy and support of our Army
and Navy. that their uniform may in
sure the wearers our hospitality and
the warmth of fraternal kindness
everywhere and always. during their
leisure hour: give to the war camp
recreation fund that the Playground
and Recreation Association of Ameri-
ca will use for these purposes under
the auspices of the War Department
Remember the western hemisphere
must know no kaiser or other king
Americans DOW the knee hut to the
king of kings" WM. H. DE LACY.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
CHINESE PRESS OPPOSES LOAN.
Contends Japan Seeks Control Of
Army Through Munition Syndicate.

PEKING. Friday. October 1s.-Ths
Chinese press is greatly agitated over
the proposed so-called arms-alliance
loan which q combination of Japanese
munitions manufacturers is endeavor-
ing to make to China for the equipment
of the Chinese army. The Japanese. IL
is understood. desire the control Of two
arsenals, and also seek to have Japa-
nese military advisers employed by
China They contend that such action
would be necessary to prevent the use
of the arms by the governments Of the
north China provinces for political pur-
poses against the southern provincea
They also want China to agree to sup
ply Japan with iron. claiming that the
American embargo on steel makes this
necessary.
The Chinese newspapers denounced
the proposed agreement as a revival Of
group five Of the much-discussed tweD-
ty-one demands made by Japan some
months ago. The amount Of the pro-
posed loan is uncertain. but probably
would total 3o.000.000 yen.
Tsao Yu-Lin, minister of communities.
tions. is the object of much criticism
by certain newspapers. They charge
that the effort to negotiate the loan IL
an attempt to give Japan control Of
Chtna'6 army. q
Evening star., 1917-10-21
To Permit Hedging Operations.

= NEW YORK. October 2o.-Hedgine
operations in cottonseed oil on the New
York Produce Exchange will hereafter
be permitted in the current and four
following months. according to an an
nouncement made to the trade today by
Vice President Edward Flash.
The purpose is to broaden the market
and thus increase its hedging value In
the legitimate trade and has the an
proval of the food administration
which. however, emphatically warned
the exchange against abusing this ex-
tension Of time for purely speculative
purposes, speculation having been for
hidden.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF EMERl
UNITED STATES GENERAL
HOSPITAL.

times the magnificent spirit of France
has faltered and paled. The winter of
1914 was a hard winter. The spring
of 1915 was a hard spring. There was
even a moment in the spring of 1917
which was difficult to traverse. for the
hidden hand of Germany was once
more seeking to hurl dust into the eyes
Of certain Frenchmen. But above all
these truths is the one 1 cited at the
beginning Of this dispatch. The French
army today Is stronger numerically,
stronger materially. stronger physi-
cally and stronger morally than at the
beginning of the war, and stronger in
most of these respects than 1t has ever
been before.
Proofs are not lacking. In April and
May they carried out successful Of
fensives on the Aisne and in the Cham
pagne. In June and July they held the
newly conquered Aisne heights
against violent counter attacks, which
wore out more German divisions than
were worn out during a corresponding
period In the battle of Verdun
July 81 they began a dangerous Of
fensive in Flanders in cooperation
with the British. August 20 they won
a brilliant victory at verdun. October
they continued the offensive in Elan
ders. And all this was done with the
army which eighteen months ago was
said to have been ''bled white"
Evening star., 1917-10-21
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER-
DI IAUD 5OO11 4 4NVFSS AsASAS
Cnblegrnm to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. C0pyrfRht, 1917.

Cnblegrnm to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1917.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. Oc-
tober 1S.-Reports continue to be
spread in America that the French
army is in the last throes of exhaustion
and despair. These reports. although
they emanate in some cases from corre-
spondents who actually have visited
the French front, are SO absolutely un-
true that, I. hardly know how to go
about denying them Are they due to
willful distortion or to that strange
faculty of mista king rurnor Tor 1act,
which produces in some persons sort
OF mental blindness? Whatever may be
their origin it Is important that the
misapprehensions they are instilling
into the public mind should be removed.
An army's strength consists, first, in
its numbers and equipment and, second.
in its quality. The French army today
has greater power and fuller equip
ment- than ever before. 1t Is more nu-
merous than at the beginning of the
war You may travel hundreds of miles
through the French army zone and
everywhere you will see the blue-clad
multitudes working-sometimes resting
behind the lines. AS for the arny's s
quality It may be considered in three
aspects-physique. technique and NOR
ale The army comprises men Of all
ages. from boys of nineteen to grizzled
veterans of forty-f1ve, but 1t Is rare to
see men of more than thirty-hve in
the attacking units. The older men are
used for defensive fighting and labor.
The natural selection OF the years has
weeded out the weaklings.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
SPIRIT OF TIE FRENCH ARMIES
STRONGER TT1ANEVER, IS CLAIM
Reports Circulated in United States That
Fighters Are In the Last Throes OF
Exhaustion Are Refuted.

passed. peaceful smile spread over
his face,
TT was a pleasure" he murmured,
"to work under such conditions"
What. then. is the meaning of the
reports that France is at its last Easp? ?
There must be some explanation or
else the reports could never be persisted
in, Yes. there is an explanation. In
the first place. the Germans announced
year and half ago that they had
"bled France white" Some people
pronouncements rather than those of
the allies. In the second place, cities
like Paris. near the front. but isolated
from it, are continually buzzing with
fumors OF every sort. Every one Is
talking about the war all the time, but
In all the conversations I have heard
there rarely has been more than / per
cent of sound argument. or attested
fact. 80
This gossip. which circulates unend-
fngly In the, Paris cafes and saloons, is
apparently believed by some people.
In the third place. it is true that the
military graveyards are vast and that
many OF the men one sees in interior
towns are sfckly and crippled. Indeed,
1t is just because the army has no
visible to the stranger. All the sturdiest
manhood of France is at the front. It
is true that the line of 500 kilometers
(4S0 miles) from the sea to Switzer-
land is a long line to hold and that the
taking over of ITS kilometers iabout
ninety-eight miles) by the British has
freed a certain number of French units
for attacking. purposes which other
wise would be unavailable. 1t Is also
true that the supply of reserves upon
which. the French can draw to COM
pensate for future losses is dwindling
Moments of Faltering.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
AUTO GANG RoBs TWO BANKS.
Terrorize People of Small Towns and
Get Away With $31 600.

GRAND RAPIDS. Mich. October 20
A gang Of automobile bandits. terror
king the residents. obtained $4,000
from two banks in small towns near
here early today. The robbers escaped.
The safe of the Farmers State Bank at
Alta was blown about las o'clock.
Eleven thousand dollars was obtained.
The robbers then speeded to Middle
vile. where at $3.50 o'clock thew blew
the safe in the Farmers State Bank
and got $4,000. The towns are ten
miles apart.
It is claimed that the explosions IN
the Vaudeville bank awakened a mum.
Der OF residents. but that none Of them
left.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
Patent Primarily
Intended for Public.

OF course. an invention cannot be kept
secret after, 1T is patented, for as soon
as an invention goes to patent
it is published to the world. A
patent is compact between the
inventor and the government by
virtue of which the inventor is
granted. a monopoly of the use of his
invention for a period of seventeen
years. in consideration of which his in
vention must be fully published for the
benefit Of others, the object being to
give the widest use to inventions. In
most countries. If an inventor within a
certain brief time does not work his
patent-that is to say. put his inven-
ton to practical use, 30 that the public
will get the benefit of it-then his pat
ent lapses. In the United States. how
ever, an inventor is entitled to his
monopoly for seventeen years whether
he works his invention or not, but it is
presumed that he will work it.
The question has often arisen about
the policy of patenting certain naval
and military inventions instead OF
keeping them secret. but 1t ia my opin-
ion. and an opinion think justified by
experience. that the government Is act
ual1y better protected by the patenting
of-inventions than it is by keeping
them secret. for 1t is practically i'm
possible to keep secret for very long
i, an invention having a large use by the
government.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
Ship Protection
offers Fertile Field.

There have been dozens of desipns
substantially Identical for protecting
ships against torpedoes by means Of
external shields, - > - -
81 inventors who have devices to sub
nit to the naval consulting hon ID
would hrst file an application for Iet-
ters patent for each device, before sub
rnitting i to this board tehey would
selves greatly and at the same time
save the committees of The .LJayu a
OF course. the work which the COM
mittees OF the naval consulting board
do is not exactly like that done by
the examiners ! in >bthe patent Office.
but. ION the other hand, the Invent or
does not. get from the naval consulting
board the helpfulness In the way Of
references cited that he does in the
United States patent soflce. n
Enthustasm seems to be 4ac necessary
Of sSInyention. &-->Aamoit
Evening star., 1917-10-21
DUMA is DISSOLVED
BY RUSS GOVERNMENT

PETROGRAD. October 20.-Owing to
the elections for the constituent as
sembly being decreed for November rs.
tho Russian provisional government has
ordered the dissolution Of the fourth
duma, declaring the mandates issued
to o-the deputies null and-void.- .'",--.~ =
Evening star., 1917-10-21
S1LENCES BULGAR BATTERIES
British Monitor Engages in Activi.
ties at Mouth of the Struma.

PARIS, October 2o.-An official state-
ment says:
Army Of the East. October 1s.-
There has been spirited enemy can
nonading. During the night a British
monitor silenced the enemy batteries in
positions near the mouth of the Struma.
Our aviators have bombed Gieveli sta
tion."
Evening star., 1917-10-21
LETTERS, 3 CENTS i
POSTAL CARDS, z
Higher Postage Rates After
November ! Under New War
Revenue Law.
DROP LETTERS UNCHANGED

Here is how people in Washington VINO
send letters or post cards to friends Or
carry on business correspondence viii BE-
affected by the new war revenue lawt
After November 1. that In. on Novem-
Der and thereafter. this provision Of the
law Is to become operative.
out-of-Town Letters, s Cents.
Letters heretofore carried by Uncfs
Sam for cents after November must
all letters going out Of Washington Or
coming into Washington.
Local letters. known and designated BY
the postal authorities as drop letters
that is. letters posted In Washington for
delivery In Washington, whether they
be deposited in the Washington city post
ofnce. in substations or in letter boxes,
will be delivered il they carry a two-cent
stamp.
Postal Cards Go Up to Cents.
Postal cards-the kind that Uncle Sam
prints and sells for cent apiece at all
his post offices-must carry an additional
one-cent stamp besides the 1 cent that
to you.
Souvenir post cards and private mailing
cards must be approximately OF the
same form, quality and weight as the
| e,
and they must carry cents in stamps
before they can be delivered.
War Tax on Parcel Post Mail.
There will be no change as regards the
parcel post rate until after December l.
Then war tax will be required on all
parcels on which the postage rate is more
than 25 cents. This is not increased
postage, but war tax. The charge will
be cent on each parcel on which the reg
ular rate has been Is cents, and cent
additional on each succeeding IS centa,
or fraction thereof. The parcel post
regulations have not yet been officially
promulgated by the Post Office Depart
ment.
Instructions to Postmasters.
In his instructions to the postmasters
A. NJ. Dockery. the third assistant post
master general. in charge of the divi-
sion of classification. quotes the postal
provisions of the act. and says:
Pursuant to the foregoing amended
regulations postmasters shall, on and
after November 2, 1917, see that postage
is paid at the rate of 3 cents an
other first-class matter except drop let
ters All drop letters, that is. letters
mailed for delivery from the office at
which posted, including those for de-
livery by city. rura, or other carrier
of such office, are required to have
postage paid on them at the rate OF
Q cents an ounce or fraction thereof.
Postal cards are required to be prepaid
2 cents, and. therefore, the one-cent
postal cards must have a one-cent post
age stamp affixed to them in addition
to the one-cent stamp impressed on
such cards. Post cards (private mailing
cards) bearing written messages must
have 2 cents postage prepaid on
them. Postmasters at Offices of ad-
dress shall be careful to rate up with
the proper amount of postage due all
| mail reaching their offices with the
postage insufficiently prepaid
'sThe failure of any postmaster to
observe the foregoing shall be reported
to the third assistant postmaster gen.
eral, division of classification.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
Quarters for Regiments.

On d street between 10th and l1tb
streets. where are now prosperous bust
ness establishments doing business as
usual. regiments were quartered
Franklin Square was occupied by the
27th New York Volunteers and the SOL
diers drilled in the neighboring streets
These are. but a few of the places In
the very Mart of Washington then
given over to Army camps, military hos.
pitals and Army barracks
Washington people of today have
been very slightly disturbed in theil
home life and their business as com.
pared with the way in which wal
swooped down on the capital in the
sixties.
Evening star., 1917-10-21

Gov Brumbaugh of Pennsylvania, in
his proclamation designating October
"a as Liberty day, suggests that lib.
erty bonds be among the gifts be-
etowed upon relatives and friends
Christmas. .----1----s - 4. 2. ..-s! 4
Evening star., 1917-10-21
STIMULATION FOUND IN WAR
FOR INDUSTRY OF INVENTION
Hudson Maxim Gives Advice to DISCOVERIES
of Useful Devices and Discusses Difficulties
Confronting Man Who Is UNIFORMED

utilized to- advantage by the United
States Navy.
Evening star., 1917-10-21
Hardened by Outdoor LITE.

SAehA oSAASo Wy SosASS4 AAA@Ss ~
Long outdoor life has hardened these
hundreds of thousands until they are
like steel Watch a French regiment
on the march. Clear eyes. lean brown
faces and a firm easy stride create an
impression of self-conhdent strength
not readily equaied. AS for the mill
tary skill of these men. can any one
doubt it's perfection? Since August,
1914. they have held their own on every
battlefield. from Macedonia to Flanders,
and ell this time they have been con-
stantly learning and constantly i'm
proving in methods. ff.e
1t remains to consider their morale,
Morale is a military term for that quail
ity of spirit which makes the differ
ence between the brooding,. indiher-
ent soldier. whose stamina Is SO en-
feebled that ne hardly cares what hap
pens to him, and the quick. energetic.
hard-hittinE soldier. who would sooner
be killed than captured. If should
say that on the eve of its fourth win
ter in the field the French army Is sick
of war and wants to Seturn home, you
would understand and forgive this
very human sentiment. but this is not
the case. ! will go so far as to say
that not since the early days of the
hostilitfes have the confidence and en-
thusiasm of the French been at such
a high pitch.
During the last four months with an
increasing understanding Of what
Americas entry into the war will
mean. with the realization that the
situation in Russia is less bad than
1t was thought. and, above all, with
the experience of several brilliant sue
cesses to prove that the allies abso-
lutely have the upper hand and that
victory is merely a question of time,
this confidence and enthusiasm have
mounted steadily.
Gives One Example.
Let me give one example among
hundreds that came to my notice of
this feeling during the height Of the
recent offensive in Flanders. In a
surgical field hospital. established by
Mrs Borden Turner of Chicago, bent
over the bed of young French SER
geant who had n bullet hole through
his right lung. Thirty hours previous.
after the severe strain of sthe. prepara-
tory bombardment. he had made the
attack with his company. struggling
for several hours watst-deep through
mud and water under machine gun
FIRE, only to be wounded at last just
as his men reached the objectives at
the edge of the Houthulst forest. An
pected to take the spirit out of the
stanchest men, but the little SER
geant's brown eyes lighted when
asked him how he found the Germans.
They were covering in groups of
ten to twelve" he said. sup to their
necks in water-flfed shell holes. and
we had only to gather them In"
And the French barrage, did 1t work
well? - ~ r
J! Admirably" A spasm made the boy
Vince moment. but. ; az tho pain