As the meeting was breaking up, Commander Rich approached Elkins and Evans and said, graciously:
“I admired your report on that British apparatus; clearly it merits the most careful consideration. But, of course, you must recognize the difficulties in the way of radical changes involving destruction of gear already in use, and you will realize the natural reluctance of an older man like the Admiral to take such a course unless it is necessary. However, you may be sure I will see to it that all arguments in favor of the British apparatus are given a fair and impartial hearing.”
After Commander Rich and the others had left, Evans continued to discuss the matter with Elkins and Brown. They tried to view it from Admiral Bishop’s standpoint. Would it be better, after all, to ignore the valuable advances made by the British, and to use only the apparatus of home design, and demand of the British that they adopt American procedure for the sake of uniformity? Viewing it from every possible angle, they all agreed that this course would be the height of folly, for it would materially impair the efficiency of the fleet, and would also make a very bad impression on the British experts by using dominance in numbers to force on them the adoption of obviously inferior methods. The British had been more than willing to adopt such of the American procedure as was superior to their own. How would they feel if America failed to reciprocate where common sense clearly demanded it? This would be an ill omen for friendly coöperation.
“It’s too important to let slide,” Evans said to himself, “but it wouldn’t be wise to bother Sam with it, if I can help it. He’s got enough on his hands, and any insistence on his part that the Bureau should go against the wish of the Chief might do a lot of harm. It’s got to be done some other way.”
Impelled by this feeling, he voiced his sentiments more earnestly than ever to Elkins. The implied criticism of superiors would have deterred both men from candor had it been the average lieutenant-commander talking with the average warrant officer. But when in time of stress men actuated by the right spirit join in a disinterested effort to serve a cause, matters of rank and seniority automatically drop out of the equation. Elkins assured him he would use what influence he had, but was by no means confident of his ability to do anything with the Admiral.
Evans remarked: “It would help a good deal if a demand for it made itself felt from the D.N.C. office. Engineering supplies the apparatus and Operations uses it. There are times when Engineering can take the lead by developing gear which creates new possibilities for Operations; there are times when Operations can take the lead by saying to Engineering, ‘We want apparatus that will do so-and-so; can you make it?’ Now, if Operations, as embodied in the D.N.C. office, could make just the right request, it might shake things up over here. Mr. Brown, have you got some live wires in your office?”
“Yes, a few,” replied Brown; “but I don’t know just how to rouse them to the kind of action that you want.”
“That may be rather difficult,” said Evans; “but there’s no knowing what a little modern telepathy on scientific lines may accomplish.”
“I took you for a simple-minded scientist,” said Elkins, “but from the way you talk I begin to think you’re a regular politician.”
Evans laughed. In the next few days he found business to discuss with Lieutenant Brown at the D.N.C. office. While he was there, discussions arose over modern problems of communications in which he was consulted as technical expert.