Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-06
BY JosEPHUs DANIELS,
Former Secretary of the Navy
ARTICLE q.


ARTICLE %.
The naval consulting board was
created IN 1915, with Thomas A. Ed
fson at its head. The announcement
of its creation resulted in an ava
lanche of plans, charts, diagrams and
models, which kept growing in vol
ume and variety until more than
100000 suggestions for inventions,
completed inventions and proposals
for the utilization of existing de-
vices in new ways had been re
ceived, classified. card indexed, ex-
amined and passed upon. Eighty per
cent Of them were devoted to put
ting the German U-boats out Of busi-
ness. The submarine early gripped
the American Imagination, and slim
ulated the inventive spirit Of the
most ingenious people in the world.
I remember. one Monday morning in
1917. finding Admiral William SJrOtHsz
n =
the consulting board. gazing in some
thing like CONSERVATION at three huge
sacks OF mail containing about 1000 let
ters and packages.
We were literally besieged by geniuses
OF every variety. enthusiastic, persistent,
and each OF them convinced that the
adoption Of his plan or device would
bring the war to a victorious end within
a few weeks. We dare not turn any
Of them away the first time, since no one
could tell until some inquiry had been
made whether the most unlikely looking
person might not have a really worth
while proposal to offer. But once the
impossible crank and the impractical the
orist were discovered and labeled IN the
mind Of the department, steps were taken
TO prevent their wasting precious time OF
busy officials by renewed yisitations.
HERE'S ONE WITH
idea WORTH MILLIONS
As was discussing department. busi-
ness with a bureau chief one day, the
telephone rang, and a clerk said Tong
distance" was calling Hs did cot catch
the name clearly, but thought It was
Mr. Ford I found IN a moment that It
was not the famous Detroit automobile
maker, for the man at the other end OF
the line began talking a blue streak,
starting out with the declaration:
I've invented a thing that viii wipe
out the Submarine; I've got something
that positively viii end the war"
He seemed quite excited about It.
asked him what It was. He said he could
not tell me over the phone, or fntrust
"Send il to our inventions board" I
suggested.
'Not on your uteT' he replied. They
might steal IT, and I'd never get the
credit for it It's worth millions, mil
Honsr
He said he would never show It to but
three peopIe-the president Mr.. Edison
and myself: and all three must give the
pledge OF secrecy.
There's not a moment to be lost, ana
7 want to bring It TO Washington my
self" he exclaimed; "but must be care
fuL II the Germans knew had this,
their spies would murder me-"
WIRE 5000 AT ONCE
Is REQUEST.
IAN right. bring It e." remarked.
But he said he had bankrupted himself
with telephone charges.
send me 5000 by telegraph this
afternoon, and III start tomorrow" he
demanded. Accustomed as I was TO queer
propositions, this did rather startle me-
''No, no I replied emphatically; -
can't do that"
DO you mean to say'-he seemed to
be surprised-"that you wont send me
measley little 5000 when the thing /
have is worth millions, and viii end the
war;"
That's correct" said, rather sharply,
I fear; I've viii not send anybody a
dollar Of government money until we
know what it is for"
We'll, that's the smallest piece OF bust
ness I ever heard Of" he snapped. 81
thought you were some secretaTy-and
now believe all the mean things the
newspapers have said about you"
One OF my office aids figured out that
this irate citizen had spent about go in
telephone tolls. We never heard from
him again, and the invention that would
end the war was lost to the world
THE 'PORCUPINE BOAT"
MAKES APPEARANCE.
The police who guarded the portals of
the State. War and Navy building
STOPPED at the entrance a tall, lean man
who was Juggling a box as big as two
suitcases. They ordered him to open 1t,
and found inside a contrivance that
looked as Il It might go off at any mo-
ment. He wanted to see somebody IN
the Navy Department and one Of my
aids went down to investigate. The fel-
low did not look like a spy or a plotter,
and the navy man asked him what his
contraption was.
Its a 'porcupine boat" he said; "a
boat thatu keep of them torpedoes the
submarines are frin'."
It was a model Of a boat, its wooden
sides thickly studded with long spikes.
whats the idea T. he was asked.
'Well, you see, the torpedoes can't sink
a ship unless they hit her. he explained,
"and If you put these long spikes all
along the side, they can't get to her.
The spikes viii stop 'em; the torpedoes