Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-09

II April 1918. Nv dear friend beg
of YOU to excuse my delay IN answering
YOUR two charming letters which pleased
me so much. The ninth of this month
/ was attacked by asphyxiating' gas
and have been the hospital since then.
Lot me assure YOU right away, 1t is moth
ing serious and hope to leave here by
the end of this week or the beginning
: of the next Please do not write TO this
address for | will have joined my old
Unit by the time YOU have received
my letter.
At first ! want to answer your last
letter, not in England however, for
have had no time for study during this
enforced vacation, hut | may write
AGAIN next week Yes, YOU are quite
right, If | am planning 10 e. to work
III America | must know English, hut
little study and practise will prepare
me in short time and | appreciate
the language very much.
At present there Is q great need for
engineers in France since industrial
production for the war is intensive. but
the Young man Of whom YOU spoke and
whom ! think to TIC very intelligent.
must not forget that all the world IS
now making formidable quantities of
all these materials hut after the war ends
many people will he looking for q Job
You sec, industry IN our country Will
lc dead for some time afterwards. |
have always thought it essential for
Young beginner To leave his own country
TO succeed m life and 50 | think this
young gentleman perfectly right not
10 stay in his ouu land DO You want me
10 give my reasons for speaking thus
| believe they might interest you. Here
they are:
Aou know in Europe they lay tire
mendous importance on theoret ical
knowledge: YOU might bP ono OF the
finest practical workers. Won might
hav. exceptional experience. or have
invented no matter what thing or ma
chime. hut when Won present Your plans
or designs do YOU know what is the
frs; question they ask YOU? No. you
probably do not. 1t is: Arc YOU an
Engineer If the answer he in the
negative YOU may he sure that your
plans will be refused with scorn. How
ever unreasonable this may seem. dear
facnd, It Is the fact ] know of Young
men who have touuo ( to be the case
| have. moreover. my own mechanical
projects which the technicisns superior
IN rue in the Army find interesting but
they viii not put to = test because |
an an engineer. What do YOU think
Cf that?
Do YOU know what the French news
papers are saying about the gun that
Is horbarding Paris9 It was a French
Invention-Ies, really, but why did
they not eaccept It when the inventor
presented it, Because the men were
not engineers; inventors and theorists
are not practical men and so the work
OF perfecting the invention WAS I'M
fortunately put aside, II Is hard 20 have
To admit that IN spite If our hatred
OF them and IN spite of all the evil they
have caused us the Germans did get
ahead of. us at least in making the FIRST
of those guns. II Is simply because they
take under consideration the least little
thing that Is original and they study
1T out and make use OF it-therein lies
their great power
Your wise men have done wonderful
things. ! am q great admirer of your
celebrated Edison, and often wished
that ! might be able 10 work under a
man of his kind But. alas I believe !
shall tell Won the dream ! have had for
some time now In the Belgian Army
they will gran! leave of three months
IN America and / wonder if ] could
avail myself of that opportunity If
=
the Minister OF War I am sure that
he would give me permission to go and
could submit my plans to your father
and to other suitable persons. Thus
l would have the great JOY of meeting
you and your family. OF course am
quite happy to have your letters but
/ shall be impatient to hear of YOUR
fathers decision. NV invention con-
sists of an elastic wheel cor tire) for
automobiles and the brigadier thought
it an interesting project
am glad, dear friend, that my photo
graph pleased YOU. ! am not always gav
and smiling but am very serous-minded.
easily resignine myself to my lot My
thoughts are my greatest satisfaction
and in spite OF all the miserie> Of the
war, ! can smile as soon aS am ont
side the fighting zone Once am
on duty my face wrinkles up and nv