EDISON, THE WORLD'S WIZARD

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 21, 9 December 1927, Page 16

EDISON, THE WORLD'S WIZARD

INTERVIEWED BY RADIO HIS INTERESTING OPINIONS. It will be remembered that a very ine reception of the speech of Thomas 4. Edison was accomplished a few weeks ago from the short-wave broadcast = station Q2XNAD, Sclienectady, J.S.A., by Mr. EF. W. Sellens, = of Northland, Wellington. A full report of the occasion is given by the ‘‘New York Times’ of October 22, s_ folows :-Thomas A. Edison made his debut as a radio speaker in a novel fashion last night. He gave an interfiew over the radio from the library of his home in West Orange, N.J., from 10.15 to 10.22 o’clock, answering questions put to him by E. W. Rice, tun., honorary chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Electric Company The interview was broadrast by station WEAF in New York and fortv-two other stations throughout the country. The occasion was an ‘Edison Night’’ programme, sponsored by the General Electric Company ‘in celebration ‘ the fortv-eighth anniversary of Mr. Edison’s invention of the incandescent electric lamp. Durine the interview Mr fdison and Mr. Rice sat at the centre of a lone table in the middle of the Edison library, with micro- phones before them. First Radio Interview, The first Edison radio interview follows :- Q.-Are you working as hard as ever?. A.-Yes. . Q.-Do you think, Mr. Edison, that hard work shortens life?. A.-Never, if you like it. _O.-What, Mr. Edison, do you consider your most important inventions? A.-The incandescent electric light and+ power system. . O.-Does the present incandescent lamp retain the essentials of the first lamp made? A.-Yes. Q.-What do you consider the greatest factor in human progress, comfort, aud happiness. A.-The intro-

duction of electricity, power, telephone, etc., in our daily life. -. QO.-Have the possibilities of electric invention and discovery been ex--hausted ? A.-Oh, no. ° It appears endless. Q.-Yonu invented the phonograph in 1877, and the incandescent lamp in 1879, when you were a compatratively young man. Do you find, Mr . Edison, that most great inventions are made by men in their carlier veats? A.-Yes, because they have greater energy and will to work. QO.-At what age is man’s produetivity at the highest? A.-Depends entirely on his health, ambition, and will to work. Q.-Have any important inventions been made by women? A.-I cannot recall, Madame Curie is a great research woman, Greater Field for Youth, QO.-Do you believe, Mr. Edison, that a young man’s opportunities for success are greater to-day than ever before? A.-Yes, far greater. There is a great scarcity of competent men to manage our increasingly large industries. Q.-Do vou think, Mr. Edison, that the tendency in America will be toward bigger ‘and bigger business? A.-Competent men are so scarce that there are not enough to go around Hence, large ¢orporations are of advantage, as they can afford high salaties, and thus obtain hetier manageiment. QO.-Will husiness ever get so big that it will, he desirable to have it handled by the Government? A.Government manarement is fatal to success. The Government should regulate, not manage. privatk husiness in its relations with the public. O.-From your experiance, Mr. KMdison, what advice would you give to the youth of to-day? A.-Youth does not take advice. Advocates Light Eating. Q.-You once told me, Mr. Edison, that you were a great believer in light eating, and that you believed if most neople ate less they would enjoy better health. Do you still believe this to he true? A.-Yes. My experience is that if people generally will diminish

their food one-half they will not lose weight and will have better health, Q.-What period of your life do you look upon with greatest satisfaction? A.-After perfection of each invention the satisfaction is great. Then I plunge into another one, with all its. trouble, to await another period of satisfaction. Q.-Is life to-day a happier experience for the average man or woman than it has been in the past? A.-Yes, in the U.S.A. Q.-Taking life as a whole, its successes and its disappointments, would you be glad to live it over again?es. Records of His Achieyements. Also seated at the table were Mrs. Edison, Gerard Swope, president of the General Electric Company; John W. Lieb, vice-president and general manager of the New York Edison Company; George -F. Morrison, vicepresident of the General Electric Company; and Kolin Hager, of the Ceneral Electric Company, the radio announcer. The room contained priceless records of Mr. Edison’s inventive achievements, including .his first phonograph. The Edison Night programme lasted from 10 to 11 o'clock. It began with an announcement of the purpose of the programme, emphasising the fact that Mr. Edison's first incandescent lamp was based upon principles which have now been applied to the radio valve. Then came music by the Goldman Band from Carnegie Hall, followed by the interview with Mr. Edison, and then more music by the Goldman Band until 10.40. At that time the national hook-up ended, and each station in the network continued with a local Edison Night programme for twenty minutes. Station WEAF carried short talks by Messrs. Swope and Lieb, paying tribute to Mr. Edison. World’s Debt to Edison. "With the millions of incandescent lamps in use in almost every home in every country in the civilised world, it is difficult to realise that forty-eight years ago to-day incandescent lamps did not exist," Mr. Swope said. The invention was due to ‘he genuine patience, persistency, courage in adversity and under great discouragement of Mr. Edison. The world is indebted to him not only for this great invention, but also indirectly for the inventions that have followed from this beginni: >» Which has made the United States the outstanding leader in the marvellous development of the incandescent lamp industry of the world. The inventions of Mr. Edison and his followers here in the United States are recognised literally every- where But Mr, Edison did more than this: he conceived the system of power distribution and the electrical network necessary to bring electric current to every home and to every workshop."