Evening star., 1921-05-06
BY JosEPHUS DANIELS,
Former Secretary OF the Navy.
ARTICLE %.

Ah1lClIfS -
The naval consulting board was
created in 1915, with Thomas A. Edi-
son at it's head. The announcement
Of it's creation resulted in an ava
1anche 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 devices
in new ways had been received.
classified. card indeNed. examined and
passed upon. Eighty per cent Of
them were devoted to putting the
German U-boats out of business. The
submarine early gripped the Ameri-
can imagination, and stimulated the
inventive spirit of the most in
genious people in the world.
l remember, one Monday morning
in 1917, finding Admiral William
Strother Smith, who had charge of
gazing in something like consterna-
tion at three huge sacks of mail
containing about 1000 letters and
packages.
eeniuses of every variety. enthusias-
tic. 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 dared 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 worthwhile proposal
to offer. But once the impossible
crank and the Impractical theorlst
We're discovered and labeled in the
mind of the department, steps were
taken to prevent their wasting pre-
cious time of busy officials by re-
newed visitations.
"Idea Worth Millions"
As was discussing department
business with a bureau chief one
day. the telephone rang and clerk
said "long distance" was calling. He
did not catch the name clearly, but
thought it was Mr.. Ford. l 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 blue streak,
starting out with the declarations:
"rve invented a thing that will
wipe out the submarine; I've got
something that positively will end the
war"
He seemed quite excited about it.
i asked him what 1t was. He said
he could not tell Re over the phone,
or intrust the secret to mails or tele-
graph.
"send it to our inventions board"
suggested.
Not on your lifew he replied.
"They might steal it, and I'd never
get the credit for it. It's worth mil
lions, millions"
He said he would never show it to
but three people-the President, Mr..
Edison and myself; and all three
must give the pledge of secrecy.
There's not a moment to be lost.
and 1 want to bring it to Washing
ton myself" he exclaimed: but I
must be careful. If the Germans
murder me-"
.wire $1,000 .t Once"
"All right. bring it on" remark
"send me $4,000 by telegraph this
afternoon. and I'll start tomorrow"
he demanded. Accustomed as was
to queer propositions. this did rather
phatically; 1 can't do that"
DO you mean to say"-he seemed
to be surprised-"that you won't send
me a measly little $1,000 when the
thing I have is worth millions and
That's correct" said. rather
sharply. fear: 1--WE will not send
anybody a dollar of government
money until we know what it is for"
well, that's the smallest piece of
ped. II thought you were some Sec
retary-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
$40 in telephone tolls. We never
heard from him again. and the in
vention that would end the war was
lost to the world.
The "Porcupine Boat"
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 suit cases. They ordered him
TO open 1t, and found inside con-
triyance that looked as IL 1t mi ght
go off at any moment. He wanted to
see somebody in the Navy Depart
ment. and one of my aids went down