Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-18
War Provides
Laboratory
For u. S. Arms
Britain's P ane Defector
ParaIIeIed Here
BY EDWIN c. HILL

= Washington, comes the news
that the British have a new
plane detector on their fighting
planes which will give warning
of other craft approaching at
distance of several hundred
miles.
1t is limited that the device is
also a pointer" which is auto
matically synchronized with the
planes guns. TO deliver deadly,
mechanically aimed fire as the
hostile craft comes within
range.
Sir Hugh Dowding British air
chief marshal. is quoted as say
ing that the instrument is being
rapidly brought through and
that 1t will remove 1.-The whole
weight and sting of the Nazi
night bombers.
For a certain definite reason
this news interested this de-
partment greatly. as several
weeks ago we. were informed.
from a highiydependable source
that lISt-SlIch- aninNention- had
been perfected by the u. S. A..
and that army officials regarded
F it as an invaluable addition to
our air defense resources.
There was an almost exact
parallel in the description of the
device with the now disclosed
British version. the only differ
rnCe being that our rig, as de-
scribed to me. would be useless
against any plane flying higher
than $4,000 feet.
TT Is. of course, entirely within
1 the bounds of possibility that
American engineers, h wing
evolved the detector, supplied 1t
to the British and that it is be-
ing given its first practical work.
out in England
We do happen TO know that
for the last two years there has
been close cooperation between
research engineers and physicists
of England and America in the
development of methods and in
StrumentS of air defense and it
is possible of course. that the
new dctector has been jointly
developed.
II IS an unhappy but incScapa-
-h1e- thought that With the turn
toward mechanization. not only
literal laboratory work. but
laboratory war, is Indispensable
Germany and Italy were sup
piled with Just such a workout
in their Joint foray against re-
publican Spain, and by all ac-
counts they made the moSr~of 1t,
particularly Germany
| remember an article in
British periodical, about a year
ago, which related in dG tail and,
-appdr Y, With Weff-dOCu-
mented authenticity the German
experimentation with various
types of bombs and planes in
Spain. all done with character
iStic German thoroughneSS and
with their penchant for sclen-
tific method
THUS. if at some future date
L we find ourselves pulled into
This war. or any other war. we
VIII have had every opportunity
10 do a great deal of useful labO-
ratory work.
We. would not be going in with
) gadget which we think ought
to spot a plane at 300 miles, but
We would have one which had
been tested in actual night COM
bat in the skies. There is here.
of course. the assumption that
Britain isn't holding anything
back in our brother act.
There already has been vast
interchange Of scientific in
formation between the two
countries much more than
finds its way into news print. if
| am not mistaken. and there
has been a pooling of inventive
brains and teChniqueS. now sup
plemented by everyday tests in
battle. which certainly ought 10
more than match anything Herr
Hitler can pull out of his Pan
dora box.
TI1lS- country hasn't begun 10
realize or appraiSc its inven-
tive or constructive capacity.
We have pioneered so many new
inventions. processes. engineer
ing methods and mass conStruc-
ton teChnlqucS that we fail 10
realize our own amazing re
SOurceiulncSs IN this line.
familiarity breeds contempt
But taking into account this
proven native genius. our vast
industrial establishment. our
endless material resources and
our capacity for Slapplng some
! thing together IN a hurry-con-
slider all this and. in spite of all
our bottlcnecking. one feels
calmly assured that VIC can
match the reSr2 Of the world in
I whatever it takes for national
survival.
! am informed, again from a
/ source which | rely upon. that
/ our defense experts aren't put
/ ting everything in the show win
i