Well, it only indicates this was their intention, but not that the execution of that intention was any good ;) in particular that they did a better job than mod

Well, it only indicates this was their intention, but not that the execution of that intention was any good ;) in particular that they did a better job than modern layouts, as you said you'd be willing to bet. Note that it's not like high hand alternation factor (favoring often left-right-left-right switches) is only good for not jamming typewriters, and therefore dismissed as unimportant by keyboard layout designers in the modern era. Quite the contrary, it's essential for keyboard ergonomy; try typing "pumpkin million stewardesses reverberates" a few times in a row... you'll feel the problem that has nothing to do with your keyboard mechanism jamming ;)