AN INVENTOR'S PATRIOTISM.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14654, 7 March 1918, Page 2

AN INVENTOR'S PATRIOTISM.

The' following extract from "Tlie > "Tow ilepuolic" magazine, which an.v- : d by tiie American mail, speaks for tself: "About the merits of the Lewis i ;un the average American citizen cun^ now little. But he knows much about; il*e merits of Colonel Lewis, if he ka& j •cad the report of the hearing before! ,he Senate Military Affairs Committee ■■ >n December 22nd. One thing the'j senatorial investigations were trying to: ;et light on was the motive that < prompted Colonel Lewis to renounce in favour of the Government Tis claim*. • ;o royalty, not on contracts sought and : bherefore hypothetical assets, but on contracts actually awarded and undev. sxecution. Why should Colonel Lewii>; want .to present to the Government >wo and a half million dollars thav belonged to Km by far clearer title of service than most sums paid out b\ the Government belong to their claimants? Especially when the official representatives of the Government had met his offers of gratuitous service with what looked like calculated scorn! 'Well,' said Colonel Lewis, 'trat is rather "a difficult question to answer. 1 suppose it is a psychological affair.' Pressed further by Senator M'Kellar's inquiry whether, having been an officei of the Government, he did not feel that ho ouglvtVto help the Government, Colonel Lewis repiled, 'Absolutely. 1 got my education at Government expense., I want to pay it back in good money—give, good money in return id it. But there is a far deeper question. I have only two sons. Both of them are at the front. They are With General Per&lring. I am a father ah you nien lrere are fathers. You wilt see your sons go over before this trouble is over. We are not fighting the battle of the Allies: we are fighting the battle of the United States."