Ripley County democrat., 1915-11-12
WAR Or future
WILL Be WAR
Of MACHINES
Thomas A. Edison Declares Sol
dler viii Not Be Fighter, but
Machinist.
OFFICERS THE Big NEED
Head Of General Science Board Dls-
cusses American Preparedness
Country Can Depend on Vol
unteer Army " Trained
officers Are Available.

Chicago.--"Maintain potential pre-
paredness for war In which fighting
Ii done by machines, not men!"
That is Thomas Alva Edison's ID
vice to America.
In remarkable interview. the
chairman Of the general science board
Of the United States annoupced some
unusual and practical ideas on Amer.
ican preparedness and capacity.
To Be War Of Machines.
He said:
The soldier OF the future will not
be saber-bearing, bloodthirsty say.
age. He will be a machinist.
The war OF the future that 10. II the
United States engages in twill be
q war In which machines, not soldiers,
fight.
For that reason we can gamble safe
" on Q volunteer army. provided we
have q great quantity Of officers
trained and ready for service In forty
eight hours to lead and drill the new
men.
"Will you give. Mr.. Edison. in con.
else form your idea Of what should be
done in America for preparedness for
or against war;" he was asked.
Well" he replied reiiectively, my
idea Of that may not be just the same
as the idea OF many people. Let me
see:
Consider the great amount Of pow
der being shot on on the European
battle front every day would have
built great factories In which twice
as much powder as that could be-
manufactured. would locate and
have stored away enough material to
mako up the powder,
'Then ! wouldn't make II. would
have everything ready so that within
forty-eight hours ] could 80 ahsad
turning It out.
spscIaI shsIl Machines,
aThen as to shells: think It II .
Wasteful thing to make shells on
lathes as they make them now. We
should get up special machines for
making them rapidly and in enormous
quantities.
"Then ] would grease the machines
and store them away with Q great
quantity Of steel billets ready to be
worked up on short notice.
''In fact would make my prspa-
rations potential rather than kinesic,
and I would DO It right away. The
proposition should not be . military
one ct sll, ! don't like this military
idea. ! aAculd be done sQlely Qn an
economical basis. ! business basis.
Building these powder factories and
these machines and ammunition 10.
tories wouldn't cost much.
-But would keep this In mind IL
preparing TO make stores and annmu-
nition; I would prepare to turn out
right along twice = much - y bping
used now on the whole European bat
tleneld- then not mako It.
WheFs Machines Excsl.
sNow ss to actual fighting: | would
rather use machines than men. A man
Ia only one man, after ell. A machine
can be eaeily as good as twenty men.
Then one man, using Il, il a. good ~
twenty men. He should be at least
that good II he IL American.
"America 10 the greatest machine
country in the werld and Is people
are the greatest machinists. They
can, moreover. Invent machinery fast.
or and have It more efficient than
any other two countries. Il 10 . ma
chine nation: its battle preparation
should be with machinery
Il am down on military establish-
ments. A standing array Isn't worth
anything unless Il Il On : war footing.
which 4 absurd We Do need - snor.
nous number Of trained ofaceFs end
drill sergennts. however. These should
be trained right along. even more than
apparently would be needed. then
turned back into industry.
They should be kept N touch at
stated intervals with the LATEST thingz
n warfare 50 that they would be ready
~ soon - telegraph and railroad
could summon them. 70 90 into sctive
ehrvico.
I'VE cen gamble On . voluntee]
army because the American h the
ouicksstminded human being n
thinen mechanical He could learn
the nse Of machinery Of war with eufl
nelent dispatoh Tor army use.
IN short, me new soldier WIN ~
De : sqldier. but j machinizl: he VII
not shed biz blood, but vii perspire
" tho factory Qf dssth = re battle
iino.'
gxplaIno Wefk o. psard.
HAS the fepol9l inventions board
anything new ~ II aleeye'fT he W.
asked next.
s'Please don't oall L - inysntionl
board" he replied. IN Il 4 general
soience board. ~ function n not IA
invent. but 70 ofe{ Inventions 10 tho
eorernment
when The navy Or army hss 4
tough problem boforo 4. o. hard nal