HC Deb 09 March 1900 vol 80 c483
MR. RADCLIFFE COOKE (Hereford)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that Dr. Conan Doyle submitted to the War Office particulars of an invention for securing accuracy of high angle rifle fire, and will he explain the grounds on which that Department declined to investigate the merits of the invention, or to give the inventor an opportunity of explaining the invention, or of witnessing experiments, if any, made for the purpose of testing the value of it.

*MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. WYNDHAM)

The answer to the first question is in the affirmative. It was thought unnecessary to trouble Dr. Conan Doyle to proceed further in the matter because a similar invention by another gentleman had been considered as recently as last December, and it had been decided that the probable practical utility of such fire was not such as to justify the War Office in pursuing the matter further.

MR. RADCLIFFE COOKE

Was Dr. Conan Doyle's invention the same as that which had been previously considered?

*MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS

Both inventions dealt with high angle firing for small arms.

MR. RADCLIFFE COOKE

Was there any difference between the two inventions?

*MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS

I believe there is no practical difference; the idea is the same, anyhow.