What will guide the guided missile? Radio waves are dangerous. The enemy also has radios; he might suborn the brainless invader into a rightabout turn. "Homing" devices, attracted by some quality of the target, are dangerous if used prematurely. The missile, perhaps confused by the enemy, might "home" on a friendly city. The earth's magnetic field is a poor guide. It varies erratically, and a subtle enemy might bemuse the missile with false-face magnetism. What is needed for a really effective guided missile is a foolproof steering device that the enemy cannot influence.
Last week Charles A. McPheeters, of the Navy's Bureau...