"Many illustrations could be found in which other nations have been the first to take up and reap the benefit from American inventions. It is doubtful if Morse, Edison, Bell, the Wrights, or any other pioneer American inventors have received any reward whatever from many countries whose own citizens have grown rich and prosperous by taking up and manufacturing American inventions without giving consideration to them.
"When I first submitted my plans of a submarine boat to the Navy Department in 1893 I had no company back of me and did not make a proposition to the department to build a boat. I suggested to them that I would coöperate with the Navy Department in a way satisfactory to them.
"My hope was, at that time, as I was only a youngster, to receive some sort of a commission in the United States Navy and to be placed in charge of the development of the submarine, but the submarine was a discredited machine in those days, and after I had spent several days in trying to interest the authorities at that time in my proposition I failed, and felt very much discouraged, and did not again return to the Navy Department until called there in 1901 by a telegram from Senator Hale, who was then chairman of the Senate Navy Committee.
"Since that time I have been offered a splendid position with very large financial backing if I would take charge of the development of submarines for a foreign government. This I refused to do, because I had a natural desire to receive some recognition in my own country.
"The principal aim and ambition in my life has been to be able to make sufficient money to endow an institution for the protection of American inventors.
"I tried to interest Enoch Pratt in this scheme twenty-three years ago in Baltimore. I have given a great deal of thought to such an institution. It does not look now as if I should be able to carry out my plans. If I had had sufficient financial backing in the early days of my experiments and development of the submarine to have protected myself fully by foreign patents, all of the European countries to-day would be paying me royalties, as they are all using a number of features in their boats which I originated.
"While I regret that the probabilities are that I will not be able to carry out my ambition, your proposition would, if carried out, go a long way toward improving the opportunities of American inventors to secure proper recognition of their inventive genius so far as they could be applied to the protection of the nation.
"I can, however, foresee certain oppositions to this scheme: first, there will be opposition from the vested interests who have held for years control of certain lines of manufactured articles and material used in the service.
"The scheme would also fail unless it would be possible for this board to secure the entire confidence of the American inventors. Very few inventors have had large business experience or know how to protect themselves from the various parasites who thrive upon them.
"A man gets an idea—it may be an old one, but he considers it original—and becomes obsessed with the idea that he has made a great discovery. He may be a farmer, a mechanic, a clergyman, or any other form of good American citizen, but not an experienced business man. In many cases he becomes a prey to people who live entirely upon their wits and the inexperience of others.