New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-17
Novelties in Wartime
An Inquiry Into the Merits OF the
Liberty Motor
70 .bo Fditor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Ny letter in The Tribune for NoVem-
her 10 mo Time for Novelties" produced
somewhat angry reply from Mr.. Farnum r
Dorsey.
In the first place, Mr.. Dorsey claims that
have preferred to withhold my name. claim
that | did not. have signed the letter a
Damn Fool" and any one who has had expo
rience with offering inventions to the govern"
ment will support me in my contention that
have described myself correctly.
But Mr.. Dorsey raises a far more impor-
tent question, and one which | believe de-
serves most serious consideration, wnen ne
saws that the idea in the construction OF the
Liberty motor was to produce in the short
est possible time an engine which would com
mare favorably with those already in use"
Now let us see. The Liberty motor at
best was as good as the best German engi-
neers could have built themselves by July 4,
1917 The Germans had samples OF all the
british machines which Messrs Hall and
Vincent had. because the Germans have capt
ured many of them. The German designers
had more experience in building aircraft
motors because they have been at 1T for over
three years now, and have spent many scores
Of millions of dollars in experimentation
The German designers have had more time
TO design a good engine, because they were
not shut I'D for fourteen hours in WASH
inpton hotel with instructions to design
motor or bust. Finally, the German engi-
neers were not told TO use only fully tried
out devices. but we're free to use anything
that they wanted to use. Why then have
no. the Germans built the Liberty motor?
Because they hope to build better one.
Let US be frank, because it is not ques-
ton of newspaper fame any more, but OF the
lives of the best young men that our country
is going to send out.
Enough has become known of the Liberty
motor to give an engineer familiar with air
craft engines clear idea of what the Lib
erty motor is. 1t is good motor, and would
have been quite excellent, provided the Ger
mans would only agree to follow the Ameri-
can system and not introduce into their mo-
tors any but fully tried OUT devices. I'm
fortunately no such agreement with the Ger
mans has been made, and the Huns are as
likely as not to introduce such improvements
into their engines What will happen then
is too horrible to contemplate for any one
who thinks more of the lives Of our fiers
than of standing in with the government.
At best planes with the Liberty motor
cannot be over the German lines in quantity
until about June, 1918. At that time they
will represent the last word in construction
which the world achieved by July 4, 1917, or
will be about . year behind the times. 1t
would have been criminal TO send up o-day
men in machines engined with motors built
from plans of the year Of grace, 1916. Why
does not the same apply to 1918?
But, we are told it was necessary to sacri-
flee all ideas Of Improvement in order to
secure large production Of engines in the
shortest time. This may be true, but, on the
other hand what is the good OF large pro-
duction if the engines are such that men
sent up with them are sure to be worsted by
their enemy?
Those who know something about the
actual conditions of fighting are not inter-
ested in statistics of Production or spectacu-
lar achievements, but in helping our Allies
TO win the war.
The Liberty motor is good motor in its
way, and may be usefully employed for
training machines, and even. when finally de-
veloped for bombing planes. G., for all
purposes where good motor is required
but it is not essential to have the best motor
available. But for single-combat machines,
where nothing but the very best should be
used. the Liberty motor of to-day will BIO