Edison and the War

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 July 1915, Page 2

Edison and the War

WOXDERFUL SCIENTIFIC) : V. :; POSSIBILITIES. iThomas Edison told an American interviewer last month that he krio«vs of still more cruel methods of warefare than even this war has disclosed. In a talk on science as applied to warfare he said:— ** "Of course, science can find much more effective ways of destroying life than by artillery or rifle fire, or the use of high explosives. The possibilities of chemistry and electricity have hardly yet been touched upon in modern warfare. They can do a lot better." "How?" was asked. "I don't want to say. . if won't tell." , MORE DEADLY THAN GAS. "Do yolt know of anything better? Could you invent something more deadly than the gas bombs?" "Yes, I could; but I can't get myself to work on any such stuff as that. I don't want to destroy life; I want to make the world a better pin"'? xo live in." "Could electricity jje used for destroying stores ofjC/jjuunition and setting off high at' a distance •. by wireless?" "Yes." "Then why don't they do it?'' "That's their business, not mine." "Wouldn'e you if your country was attacked " • "Yes, if the United States gets into it, and if my country is attacked, I shall help make it worse, certainly. . But it is not essential that we should get into this war. For us to think of entering the war ,of acfual armed conflict with Germany—that is'absurd, no , matter what happens. We are not prepared to fight. The army we could raise would have no training. It would be just an undisciplined moli. "If the worst came to the worst, we could withdraw our ambassador and shut our consulates. But there are many ways in which we could make reprisals for injuries done to us other than by putting our untrainel troops on the batt' fields of Europe; and Germany can't get over here to attack us, At least it is in no condition to do that now, and will nofbe unless it wins this war."