Evening star., 1918-07-28
Would FREEZE CLOUDS
AND THEN MOUNT GUNS
Another Inventor Proposes to Gov
er Moon With Balloon-Lot Of
New Ideas offered.
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
Correspondence of The Sunday Star
and Chicago Daily News.

eN SsASNSS DAAAS AsSss"s
LONDON. England. July Ideas of
the weiricst nature reach the inven-
tions department of the ministry Of
munitions almost every day. All are
carefully considered. Some are use
full, but almost nine-tenths are inn
practicable.
In an article on the subject. pub
lished In the current number of the
Ministry of Munitions Journal. it is
said that the following suggestions
for dealing with hostile aircraft have
been received.
Guns on Frozen Clouds.
The clouds are to be frozen artificial
ly and guns mounted on them: heavy
guns are to be suspended from cap
tive balloons: the moon is to be COW
cred with big black balloon: air.
planes are to be armed with scis-
sors or scythes. like Boadicea's char
lot. or to trail bombs behind them
on a long cord: heat rays are to be
projected for the purpose of setting
Zeppelins on fire; electric waves to
paralyze the magnetos.
One of the most popular suggestions
Of all is to attach a searchlight to
IN anti-aircraft gun, get the light
| On the object and shoot along the
beam; but, unfortunately. the path of
shell is quite different from that of
a ray of light.
Most elaborate decoy schemes" are
sometimes worked out for the con-
fusion of the enemy, comprising In
At least one case sham factories with
chunneys and hooters complete. To
,Av,f Ha
showing at night the last carria geSof
he last train was to camoufiage them
by dribbling backing as it went
along.
Devices to. Defeat Enemy.
Other proposals were:
A balloon carrying magnets hung
on strings to attract the rifles out
of mems hands.
A shell to contain heas or other
vermin inocuIated with disease.
A shell with man inside 1t to
steer 1t at the target.
The squirting of cement over sol
diers so as to petrify them.
The sending of snakes into enemy
trenches by pneumatic propulsion.
The throwing of live wire cables
carrying high voltage among ad-
vancing bodies of infantry by means
of rockets.
ShouIu oc dttChSu III one
case by making tube" all the way,
and in another by employing
trained cormorants to fly to Essen
and pick out the mortar from
Kruop's chimneys.
One correspondent sends quite a
number of original methods of re-
pelling attacks. including large CALI
PERSIA ped devices which could be
closed on any one intruding between
the legs: series of nets spread in
front of our lines which could be
drawn so as to enmesh the Germans,
and a machine of the nature of a
lawn mower as large as a tank to
make mincemeat of them.
The purpose of the article in the
Journal is to warn of inventors OF
this sort. and frequently they are
Senially argued with.
One gentleman had a powder. the
composition of which he declined to
disclose. which on being mixed with
water turned into a motor spirit. At
least. so he said.
Another proposed base was the
grease SKINNED off soup.
Various constituents which have
been proposed on account of their
cheapness would no doubt be more
or less efficient, but the enthusiastic
promoters overlook the fact that ii
they once came into use to any ex-
tent the advantage would disappear,
as the price would at once soar.