Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-08
WAR DEPARTMENT WANTS
INVENTIVE SUGGESTIONS
Will Welcome Practical Ideas OIL
Subjects Connected
With War.
PURSUE "opEN MIND" POLICY
Experts Named to Consider Each
Plan Proposed and Sift Out Vulu-
able Schemes From Vast Amount
Of Impracticablc Submitted.

Original ideas on any subject con-
nected with the war and Americas
part in 1t will be gladly welcomed and
carefully considered the War Depart
ment yesterday through the
Virginia Council of Defense. Vir-
ginians who have inventive ability will
hnd the government ready to receive
and eager to accept what it believes to
will be forwarded to the War Depart
ment by the Council during the next
few days.
The following statement was issued
Yesterday by the Council at the re-
quest of tho War Department:
Ever since the United States en-
tered the present war it has been the
policy of the War Department TO bring
us executive personnel as much as
possible into contact with the sort of
people who come TO Washington with
original ideas. This receptive attitude
onen-mind policy. and although il
gets the bureau heads and executive
officers in for a great deal of extra
work, anybody who carries with him
the seed of a useful idea is welcomed
and his plan given the most thought
full consideration. In Il word. the War
department wants 10 make use OF the
brains of the American people and is
willing to comb out Il great mass of
fanciful schemes. knowing as thcy do
''h IA luouSiIlu- InU-nrSt idea sub
mitted TO them might contain the germ
of radical Improvement In our method
OF carrying OUT our end of the world
conflict.
WILL MAINTAIN AN
OPEN-MINDIsD POLICY
To maintain the 'open-mind' policy
requires a great deal of patience and
iorbearance on the part Of officers who
oidlnarily' would be too busy to listen
10 1nOT1 fa "a r1pfnnry rl,.. =
ing the war. Many of the pronosi,ions
nave nothing TO recommend them hut
the charm OF ingenuity and romance.
~ mas been said that the late Jules
Verne thought of moro military inro-
fationS that Zeppelin or Edison ov,r
dreamed of. But the record for dre,rr.
ing is held by several of the appIicants
"ho' III the past few weeks have com.
Win vast projects TO help the govern
ment in its present crisis.
Every hour a great many mcn-nnd
some women-come in with plans tn
r%eorganize the army. plans to ;mnrovo
the card-indeN system of kecninr ,r,oL
OF enlisted men, plans TO speed n,
Hiiitary efficiency by means OF nun
pcrlnG the buttons on soldiers rn,i.
80 tnst as the details of each scheme
are discussed the applicants arc turnnd
over to the proper cyperts ana ~
merits or dement's OF each case az
luilE considered. nj case of ,ho
genius who discovered how to Locale
lurking submarines by means of a nocls
Oh sea Gulls. trained 10 hover and
pouhce upon the hidden monster. is
no" "A matter of record. New .y.,
OF army discipline are continuaily ~
ing onered and rejected on the pround
NAT they were found antiquated hc-
fore the Civil War. u
livery day a great many men IF
IN - and responsibility come
. oler suggestions. Also mon
hitherto obscure, freuuentlv men
ideas and inventions OF incstimahln in
portance. In fact the War d.,
nhent mas proited immensely Nv -.
poiicy OF the opcn-mind. and a
re-, piahs-quite naturally kept Sc
Se'-haVe been born of these .nm
pie. serious conferences wiz .I SIM
cts VINO think they have found somo
mrns, "h'ch may aid the govern