Middletown transcript., 1922-11-04
CLAIMS CREDIT
FOR ARMY TANK
British Captain Says Great War
Weapon Was Invented by
Him in 1914.
GOT ORDERS FROM KITCHENER
Credit for Invention Has Been Claimed
In Many Quarters, Notably by Win
ston Churchill-Question In
Parliament.

London-One of the few really new
weapons which the late war developed
was the tank. Credit for this inveii-
tion has been claimed in many quar-
ters-notably for Winston Churchill,
now colonial secretary, who was said
to have submitted 1t to Mr.. Asquith on
January 5, 1915.
Now the Morning Post has come
forth with a claim for Lord Kitchener
and q Captain Bentley under whose
joint auspices, the newspaper asserts
the first tank was produced. The con-
troversy has come to light again
through the inability of Captain Bent
ley to obtain from the tanks award
committee of the war Office any award
or compensation for his work.
The real story of the genesis of the
tank, according to the Morning Post,
Is this
On October IS, 1914, Captain Bent
ley had just returned to England from
abroad to offer himself for war serv-
ice. The next day he received tele
phone call from Colonel Fitzgerald,
military secretary to Lord Kitchener,
directing him to report at the war Of
fee in Whitehall. When he arrived
there he was taken to Lord Kitchener,
under whom he had served in South
Africa and to whom he was we'll
known
Real Story of Tank.
Kitchener, the story runs, greeted
him as follows:
Downstairs, in the quadrangle,
there's an armored car Woolwich has
made for me. It's the result of the
united brains of the army and navy
experts. We want it for this trench
fighting which they've begun in
France. Go down, have a look at it
and tell me what you think about 1t"
Captain Bentley and Colonel Fitz-
gerald inspected the car for about five
minutes and then returned.
"Well?" Kitchener asked.
"It's no good for your purpose" Cap
tain Bentley said. You can't take 1t
off road"
Exactly" said Lord Kitchener
my own opinion. Now, can you de-
sign me one of the right type? It's
urgent Let me have it tomorrow"
Captain Bentley, 1t might be men
toned, was one of the pioneers of mo
tor transport. He had driven automo
biles in sandy wastes, and had devoted
considerable time to the attempt Il
develop types of motor vehicles suit
able to rough and virgin country. He
went home to work out the idea of th.
caterpillar tractor as it would be ap
piled to an armored car.
On the evening of October %, Cap
tain Bentley went to Lord Kitchener
house in Carlton Gardens. AT the ent
of three hours the two men, accordin.
to Captain Bentley, had agreed upol
the basic principles of the tank.
At the close of the interview, Cap
tain Bentley mentioned that he pro
posed to go at once to the patent of
fee and register his design.
"Wait," Lord Kitchener said. "Ar
you satisfied to leave this in my hands
I'll look after YOU"
Finds Kitchener ls Dead.
Captain Bentley agreed. The mex
week, however, he left for service i
Russia. Upon his return to England
he was almost Immediately recommis
stoned and sent to German East Afric
with the mechanical transport service
Here he was wounded, finally return
ing to England in 1917.
Until this time he did not know tina
the invention, which by then wa
known as the tank had ever bee
utilized. What he did know, howevel
was that Lord Kitchener had bee
drowned in June, 1916, and could nc
give his version of the tanks origin.
DESTROYS of knowing the officit
view of the matter, Captain Bentle
had a question asked in parliamen
The answer gave the credit for the IL
yention of the tank to Winsto
Churchill, January 5, 1915, dat
which, If Captain Bentley's claims b
verified, was about two and ha
months after the Kitchener interview