The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

This collection consists primarily of letters exchanged between Edison and Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, along with related correspondence. Many of the typewritten letters are accompanied by drafts in Edison's hand. The documents in this folder are from February-April 1917. They pertain to Edison's work on a "secret wireless"—an attachment to a wireless telegraph that would make it impossible for the enemy to read the messages. A letter by Daniels from March 1 contains the suggestion that the inventor focus his research on this invention and "a few [other] items of importance so that you may concentrate on those most needed." A letter by Daniels from April 2 bears the following notation by Edison in reference to Report No. 9: "Please do not send on other peoples ideas of detecting submarines. I have more now than I ever could work out & I would only be accused of stealing their ideas." A letter by Edison from April 7 urges Daniels to forward the suggestions of other inventors to the Naval Consulting Board. "I am told that a great number of these letters come in my mail, most of them being impracticable."