THE “DEATH RAY.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19239, 1 August 1924, Page 5

THE “DEATH RAY.”

GRIND ELL MATTHEWS AND THE AIR MINISTRY. The Air Ministry makes the following statement regarding the negotiations which have taken place with Mr Grindell Matthews, the inventor of the socalled Death-Ray, and the action which has been taken to examine the claims put forward by Mr Grindell Matthews (reports “Flight”):—“The Air Ministry, as long ago as February last, offered Mr Grindell Matthews an opportunity to give a demonstration of his apparatus to their representatives, and since that date this invitation has been renewed on several occasions. No arrangements for a demonstration, were made, however, by Mr Grindell Matthews until an interview took place between himself and Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond at the Air Ministry on Saturday, May 24. The demonstration, actually proposed by the inventor, and shown on May 26, consisted in lighting an Osglim electric lamp, and in stopping at will a small motor cycle engine from a distance of about 15 yards. The demonstrations were carried out in the inventor s Laboratory, all the apparatus being pro vided and arranged by him. The departmental representatives were shown nothing which would lead them to credit the statements that have appeared in the press as to the possibilities of the invention, and tho conditions under which the demonstrations were made by Mr Matthews were such that it was not possible to form any definite. opinion as to the value of the device. Mr Matthews was accordingly offered an immediate opportunity to demonstrate the stopping by means of his ray, of a small petrol motor (such as an ordinary motor-cycle engine) to be provided by the Government Me was not asked to disclose any informs tion as to the means by which the rays were produced or the nature of the rays themselves. If this test proved successful ho was to bo paid £IOOO immcdiabely, the only condition being that he would allow the Government 14 days to consider the basis of further financial negotiations for the purchase or development S S invention. Mr Grindell Matthews hJ refused this offer, and it is understood that he has loft the countiy. In reply to the above official announcement Mr Grindell Matthews rtates it waTarTanßcd with Sir Geoffrey Salmond S he sLuld give .one identical with that given to the 1 touch firm to Major Wimperis, and that upon thT latter's report a definite decision would be given as to whether financial negotiations would be fortbcoming. iatead he was asked to give three, demonthe Admiralty and the War umoa respectively- Ho agreed to this and gave the L demonstrations. In pvm these demonstrations, states Mr Matthews, he fulfilled his part of tho arrangement, and 1 +,ho Air Ministry to do the but thev proposed a further test, and ’if the latter was to their satisfactTon a period of 14 days for negotiations As this meant dropping tho French offer on So chance of coning to term* with the Air Ministry, he refused. He did not, he says refuse to give the Government a terthm t®t, but had to decline their offVr owing to the restrictions as to time they wished to impose.