THE AKRON DAILY DEMOCRAT — FEBRUARY 19, 1900
Misguided Genius Runs to Slaughter—Schemes of Murderous Warfare Submitted to Military Authorities.
The board of review is a formal and signified body connected with the board of ordnance and presided over by General Miles, to which is referred all suggestions for new weapons or other war-like devices either for offense or defense. To it go all the inventors with their latest ideas for wiping out armies at a blow or for destroying a navy in the twinkling of an eye. While such demoniac schemes cannot be used under The Hague agreement, even if practical, they are interesting as showing what the human mind can devise.
That there is a huge crop of ingenious and bloodthirsty inventors is proved by the annual report of the board of ordnance, in which are listed all the suggestions which have been considered by them. If one of these reports should fall into the hands of the military attache of a foreign government, he would undoubtedly realize the folly of spending more millions in the construction of ordinary warships and cannon and would advise his government of the folly of attempting to right Uncle Sam once he gets these new ideas into shape.
Take, for instance, says the Chicago Tribune, the suggestion of Mr. W. H. Herman. He is evidently of the opinion that the best tactics in war is to carry destruction into the heart of the enemy’s country. If England, for example, should be our opponent, he would take half a dozen men, a balloon and one of his big sunglasses. He
