The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-10-29
EDISON SAYS
HE'LL IMPROVE
SUBMARINE
Great Inventor Tulks About War,
Photographs, Cigarettes
Sleep
NOT INTERESTED IN
NEW FORD ELECTRIC
Concludes Detroit Visit With
Long Talk With Re-
IL p0rters

Five newspapermen. one after the
other. tested the patience of Thomas
4. Edison. the world-famous inventor.
In the parlor Of Henry Ford's palatial
home on Edison-ave- Wednesday
night, BY shouting questions In his
ear that embraced everything from
the war in Europe to the amount OF
sleep the great scientist allowed him.
self daily.
Mr.. Edison, who h decidedly deaf,
stood the test splendidly. He proved
himself to be the essence OF toler-
ance and congeniality. Smoking q dig
black cigar. Che doesn't class cigars
with cigarettes). and lolling back in
big easy chair, he answered Ques-
tons for solid hour, and then broke
away that he, his wife and son might
catch the d. & c. boat for Cleveland.
"Yes, / am working on storage
battery for submarines for the United
4 States government" said Mr.. Edison.
"This country Is becoming intensely
interested In submarines and the gov
eminent Is planning to have q feet
Of the best on earth. The great war
In Europe has caused an awakening
In the United States, and We are be-
ginning to realize our lack Of pre-
paredness for war.
"This country does not want war,
but the government feels that bet
ter fleet will be q good insurance pol
Z 10y against war;" continued Mr.. Ed
son. I'VE won't need to make that
insurance policy so very big either,
because Europe will be completely ex-
hausted after this great war, and will
not be able to infiict much damage
on us for 80 vars at least. II will
easily take them that long to re-
cover"
Mr.. Edison gave II as his opinion
that the world was growing better In
spite Of the great European war. He
said that there was more love be-
tween man and man and less hate,
and gave the organization of the
many humane societies over the world
- proof. He believes that this will
DO the last great war, that republics
win take the place OF monarchies In
Europe. and that q general disarma-
ment will follow.
II am making some great improve
ments on the phonograph," said he.
when asked II he considered that the
talking machine had reached Its
highest state OF perfection. 81 am
preparing to manufacture a new disc
or record which will be made OF car
bolic acid and which will be harder
than glass. This disc will carry IA
Of the Is over-tones in music. We
have never before been able to rem
der the over-tones on the phono-
graph. but this new record will do
away with all Of the mechanical ef
feet and you will be able to hear
much music as Beethoven's Sympho-
MES In all OF their beauty OF tone
and expression.
The talking motion pictures which
you have seen were merely shown
TO exhibit the possibilities of the
thing" said the inventor regarding
the talking pictures. "They are far
from perfect, but we will soon have
them SO constructed that the me-
chanicai effect will be completely
done away with and the characters
. VIII move and talk In complete har-
mony. The new disc which am per
pecting will improve the talking pic.
tures greatly.
els II true that you only sleep two
o. three hours daily and believe that
sleep 10 merely habit and not ne
cessftyf was one Of the questions
asked Mr.. Edison.
mo, NO; believe in sleep. The
papers got me all mixed up on that"
he replied. when / am working I
always sleep six hours each day, and
when am on vacation like this I
sleep eight hours day When I am
on Q vacation I sort OF store away
sleep like storage battery. and then
later when am very busy sleep
only four hours Q night and draw on
my supply"
"A cigar n all right and a pipe is
all right" said Mr.. Edison, regarding
smoking, but never let any Of my
make them 'dopey.' It Is the paper
enclosing the tobacco which makes
the cigarette harmful. This paper
and the rapid combustion OF cigar
cite creates q chemical known as
chlorine This destroys nerve cells.
absolutely destroys them. A man can
roeuperate from the effect Of alcohol
md even from morphine. Injured
calls can be built up after alcoholic
sxcssses. but the cigarette wreaks In
5nxy that II permanent"
Mr.. Edison made IL understood that
hs n not interested with Henry Ford
IN the manufacture of an electric auto.
mobile. He will not be connected with
shs sntsrprise In any way except az
ths inventor Of the storage battery
that viii be used In the car. Mr.. Edi.
con said he has invented q storage
battsry which will make the electric
automobile the ideal machine for all
city uses.
The new battery win last for many
years, its chief quality being its dura
6dlify. The inventor does not think
tho electric car will ever take the
piacs Of the gasoline car for touring
purposes.
Il have had . fne time here with
Nr. Ford. said Mr.. Edison, but 4
n anxious to get home and get e
vork. am going to Cleveland to
sieht, then to Akron. and then I will
motor through Pennsylvania to East
Orange. N. J. I am going to stop Al
III the little 'bed-bug' hotels along the
way
Mn. Edison was interviewed on the
subject of woman suffrage. She Il
strongly in favor OF the enfranchise
ment of women, but thinks that Il will