The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-06-14
|. 0. 0. F. Visitor Has
Curb for Sub Menace

r. convention III Vd4ley lily ldSI
week were many prominent men
from over the state. However, they
were not Of the class who believe in
talking about themselves or their
achievements, and in order to find out
much about any one of them outside
aid was necessary.
One of the delegates was John c.
Field, of Williston, an uncle of Grand
Master A. G. Field, who presided at
the convention.
Mr.. Field, according to his modest
admission, is the inventor of a mag
netic torpedo. While this invention
combines the usual points of regu-
lar torpedo. it also is being perfected
to be used in torpedoing submarines.
The magnetic" feature of the in.
strument is what makes it distinctive
or different from the ordinary sinker.
when launched on its mission of de.
struction the attractive force, accord.
ing to tests, is so great that it can be
made to vary as much as 80 degrees
from straight line when approach
ing battleships, cruisers, submarines
or any vessel composed of large per-
centage of steel.
Incidentally Mr.. Field took bis in
vention to Washington to place it be-
fore the experts in the service Of the
United States government. Some Of
the Slope papers which run a German
column may have mentioned this fact.
At any rate he had not been in Wash
ington "a hours before he received
from Count Won Bernstorff a message
inviting him to his home for an in
terview. Mr.. Field accepted, and the
count magnanimously laid aside i'm.
portant plotting and had the visitor
shown to his private Office. The in
terview consisted in stating that he,
the count, as representative of his
country, was prepared to negotiate
for the sole rights of the invention
provided, as we say in Dakota, it was
what it was cracked up to be. Fur.
thermore in case it was accepted the
inventor was to receive more marks
and pfennigs than he could see stars
in the Milky Way with the telescope
in the Lick observatory.
Notwithstanding these fattering in.
ducements the modest North Dakotan
informed his distinguished host in
plain terms that he for one was not
"agin the government" that whatever
he could offer was first, last and all
the time at the call and command of
Good Old Uncle Sam.
North Dakota is coming into the
limelight as the main pasture that is
to feed the warning animals. Perhaps
the honor will come to one of her
sons for something that will put the
murderous submarine out of commits
sion or render it useless. This gov.
eminent has never been strong for
awarding inventors due honor or re-
compense In this case the inventor
is satisfied that if the invention proves
worth while the government will give
him more than he asks.
Another Feature of the magnetic
| torpedo is it's ability to dive for its
prey when submerged. 1t is so nicely
balanced that any object submerged
! will cause it to work below the sur
face as well as at or near the top. An
unofficial report states that the Eng
lish are now using it to keep the Eng
fish Channel clear of the willy sub
U. S. experts (among whom may be
Edison) are engaged in perfecting the
diving feature. When ready for use
any cruiser fitted with this torpedo
| can go hunting for the dachshunds of
the sea-. AS soon as the wake of an
undersea boat is sighted a missile is
launched in that direction. 1t means
diver VS.. diver. The cruiser will leis-
urely follow up and await results. If
the torpedo finds it's mark and ex-
plodes an inflated apparatus rises to
the surface. From this will rise tiny
pole Haunting the Stars and Stripes,
while Photographic attachment
plays "McGinty" or other selections
agreeable to the board of strategy.
Auf wiedersehen.