The Washington herald., 1917-01-06
Seen and Heard
By GEoRGE MINER

New York. Jan. 5.-Many people
are wondering why the Richardson
armor plate is not given tryout by
the United States government. The
English government is finding it high
ly satisfactory and since its test six
years ago is using it extensively on
all the new warships. The Vickers
Maxim Company control its manu-
facture there although, so / under
stand, Mr.. Harold Richardson still
owns the process.
Mr.. Richardson is a Canadian and
therefore an English subject and nat
urally offered the process to his own
country first. / was present at its
test on Whale Island by the English
naval authorities and learned after
ward that l was the only foreigner
who had ever been allowed on that
sanctum sanctorum of Great Brit
aims naval power. 1t was a very
Interesting test and ! am happy to
say that the plates proved all that
the inventor claimed for them.
Five hours in bomb proof during
an ar1nor plate test by big guns is a
nerve-wracking and ear-splitting or
deal. The bomb proof in which we
were huddled was at one side and
slightly to the rear of the fourteen
inch gun used to fire the projectiles.
The plates were set in deep dirt en-
brasures against foot or so of solid
oak beams only two hundred feet
from the gun. The smash of the pro-
jectiles against those plates was siu,-
ply terrific. The conclusion was so
great that it felt as if the whole earth
was rent asunder.
1t was an experience that l would
not care to undergo again. 1t gave
me some conception of what those
poor Belgian soldiers had to suffer
during the bombardment of the Liege
forts by the Germans. 1t took at
least two days for the effects to wear
off and my nerves did not become
normal again for long time. When
ever a door slammed l would jump
like a cat.
About two years ago Mr. Richard
son, who had come to this country
to live, decided to let the United
States government have the benefit of
his invention if it cared for it. So
he had plate made in Scotland-it
cost him $4,000 to do it-and sent
to the United States Navy Depart
ment for testing purposes. Secretary
Daniels had the test made at Indian
Head. 1t was six-inch plate and
showed greater resistance than the
eight-inch plate now used by our gov
ernment, the kind that the Bethlehem
Steel Company had been making and
the same kind that the government is
proposing to make at its own plants.
This test seemed to result in high
ly satisfactory. way to all concerned.
1t looked as if the Uniced States navy
would get much better armor plate
than it had been using and as good
as any in the world and that Mr.. Rich
ardson would reap some handsome
royalties for his patent.
However that did not settle the
matter after all. The Secretary OF
the Navy stated that the test was per-
fectly satisfactory so far as a six
inch plate was concerned but he want
ed to test a ten-inch plate before
adopting it. That stumped Mr.. Rich
ardson. He had no ten-inch plate
and couldn't get one made. The plants
in Great Britain would not bother
with manufacturing experimental
plates after the war started. They
were busy night and day making
plates for their own ships. Naturally
the steel plants here would not make
plate for a rival and by a rival pro-
cess that, if adopted, would put them
out of business.
So Mr.. Richardson was up against
II ard there ths r,,t+s- ,+,aJ,