Some Detractors of Sig. Marconi

It is exceedingly singular but, sad to relate, it is undeniably true that no sooner does a man discover some great natural law or apply some principle in a manner to redound to the everlasting benefit of his fellow men — that no sooner does he do this than he is immediately beset by a horde of individuals who endeavor in all conceivable ways to belittle his work.

Honoré de Balzac sought to cast doubt upon Sir Isaac Newton’s immortal discovery of the law of gravitation, although its truth had been long since placed beyond the possibility of question by the investigations of Euler, Laplace and Lagrange. The experiments of Morse in the transmission of messages by electrical means were similarly decried and numerous other instances of the sort might be cited.

Guglielmo Marconi, as all the world knows, succeeded some weeks since in sending electrical signals between the coast of Cornwall and St. John’s, Newfoundland, and the magnificent feat was acclaimed with delight. That is, it was so received by the plain matter-of-fact and unscientific portion of humanity. Now, however, come the savants, and some of their utterances are so petty, spiteful indeed, as to excite only sentiments of contempt.

First, there is Nikola Tesla — that loudly proclaimed genius who announced to the yellow press some months since that while on the summit of Pike’s Peak he had received “a message from Mars.” Well, this individual, who is always “going to” accomplish something, states that he, too, has devised a wireless telegraphic system that is the finest thing of the sort ever heard of.

Then there is C. T. Child, an electrician of note who, far from believing that Marconi has accomplished a most wonderful and unheard-of undertaking, criticises it as if its significance were about equal to that of some new five-cent toy one may purchase on the Bowery. He appears to be of the opinion that the great invention amounts to nothing only because absolute secrecy in transmission has not as yet been attained. And so on to infinity.

Give Marconi a chance. He is doing no talking — he leaves that to others of his colleagues who have accomplished far less of value than himself. He is simply developing his marvelous invention, and that at a rate of improvement which presages the happiest results in the final outcome. If his instruments and methods are not as yet completely without flaw we may feel assured that such will be remedied if humanly possible. Meanwhile, however, it is gratifying to know that he works on, undisturbed by what Byron once picturesquely described as “the pack at his back.”