Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1921-06-30
] A P A n { ST
ARE AFTER
Fl centric
PATENT
NippOnese Government Of
fers Unlimited Price for
Auto-piano Invention of
Virgil Moore Which Was
Perfected Here.

Virgil Moore, the young FL Centric
aviator and inventor of combination
airplane and motor car, that it is be-
licved by his friends will revolution
iZe the airpane industry of the world,
has become overnight almost, an in
ternational figure is the news.
The ever watchful eye of the jap
anese government which is centered
on every new step in the world of
aviation has fallen upon Moore and
his wonderful invention and the most
strenuous efforts are being made by.
representative Japanese to secure con-
troll of the invention and patents for
the exclusive use of the Mikados army
aviation service.
Virgil Moore left Ell Centre, where
he had originated his plane about a
year ago and went directly to
Los Angeles where his field of opera
ton would be broadened and greater
facilities for the perfection and man.
ufacture of his plane offered.
In Los Angeles he organized the Pa
cfic Auto-piano company to handle his
invention and he has since been
steadily engaged in the perfection
and development Of his ideas and in
the building of practical models of his
invention.
The Japanese with apparently un-
limited capital have been for months
past making flattering cash offers for
the control of the inventions and pat
ents of airplanc manufactur locat-
ed in Los Angeles, and for several
months have been making the most
persistent endeavors to secure the ex-
elusive rights to Moore's invention.
The auto-piano as Virgil Moore calls
his invention is folding wing air.
plane, which is capable of use either
as a motor car or as an airplane.
The auto-piano is especially well
suited for use in mountainous country
and in narrow and much circumscribed
territory When the wings are folded
the machine is no winder than the or
binary motor car. and is propelled by
power transmitted from the motor,
which as an airplane, drives the pro-
peller.
Moore worked on his invention here
for many months and he was greatly
aided by the people of FL Centre and
the business men who financed his
earliest labors and aided him in all of
the preliminary work of his invention.
vented, had passed the engineering
and aeronautical tests to which it was
submitted patents were taken out to
control it,
About two months ago according to
the story told by Moore in Los An
geles yesterday, 4 delegation of lap
anese supposed to be officially con-
nected with the Japanese government,
IL l. lo,. nf
geles merchants called upon him and
made advances looking toward nego-
tiations for the purchase of his ~
vention. After the first visit there
were eight other trips made to the
Moore factory by the~same delega-
ton and other visits by five agents
sent direct to Los Angeles by the Jap
anese government to negotiate with
him were made frequently.
Big offers have been made to Moore
by the Japanese on condition that he
would sell them his patents exclusive
ly and agree not to manufacture his
plane in the United States. The Japs
frankly admitted their desire to OBJ
tain an exclusive patent right on the
plane and were persistent in their at
tempts to learn the nature OF nearly
30 separate airplane inventions that
have been worked out by Moore and
applied to his aircraft.
II have been amazed by the interest
and persistence shown by these Japa-
nese," said Moore. despite the tempt
ing offers they have made to me to
sell my patent rights outright | have
been unable to consider their offer be-
cause am an American, served in the
air service during Ie war, and feel
that my country should have first
claim on anything Of either CONNER
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