The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-06
TWO YEARS. WAR,
DECLARES EDISON
Days Of Thirty Years Contest
Passed, Says Wizard.
SUBMARINES ARE EFFECTIVE

their ESploIts Teach Lessons In
Building of eattieships-Boom In
Business Here to Be Tremendous
After the War Worry2 Think of
the Kaiser!
THE year 1914 dealt a staggering
blow to civilization. the arts and the
sciences" said Thomas a Edison at
his laboratory In West Orange. But
civilization will recover from the blow
very o after the war ends"
And that will bef'' asked a CORE
spondent OF the New York World.
Not for two years. | fear" said the
great inventor This war has taught
the world that the killing of men In
war is a scientific proposition now.
With all the implements of destruction
and plans for offensive and defensive
operations so carefully mapped out and
with the great number Of men h can
he drawn into the fray by both sides,
the conflict will be long drawn out.
There have been wars that have
lasted thirty years. but those days are
past. Killing men is n different prop
osition today. but / believe the present
struggle will not end for at least two
years, although I pray 1t will end
soone than any Of US expects
Mr.. Edison added that the subma-
rine has been the greatest offensive
instrument In the world conflict and
said.
While the submarine has not OBJ
waited the necessity of the Dread.
nought. it surely has lessened It's val.
ne But you can bet the ships Eng.
and is constructing now are so built
hat they will be protected against
submarine t%orpedoes. The effect of a
primary explosion can be greatly min.
imized by the interior construction of a
D~readnought, and this. In all likeli
hood. is being done by the allies now
The hearty old gentleman. from
whose pockets the destruction Of his
plant by fire took $3.O00.00O a short
time ago, seemed entirely happy.
Did your loss persuade you to
make any New Years resolutionsf'
he was asked
Worry7 Think of the kaiserl
"Resolutlons?' be repeated. Non
sense! Years ago | formed my rules
Of life and | have adhered to them.
The chief OF them all Is Work No.
the loss of the money does not worry
me. Nothing was burned that cannot
be replaced. was up against a harder
proposition when w built the first
electric lighting plant In New York.
1t was something new-electric light
ing-then. A fortune had been invest
ed and the whole world was awaiting
the outcome. Everything depended
upon the success OF that plant, but as
a result Of 1t the world has become
electrically Illuminated at night, as II
were.
when any one talks about worry
he might apply my new standard of
worry Just think of the kaiser. now
on the defensive. with nearly 300 miles
Of battlefront, all told. on the east and
west. Why, the average mans wor-
ries sink into in~signiicance compared
TO this. Another standard of disaster
Is Belgium-little. gritty Belgium!
ut has surprised me TO see how
Americans have become weakened
over this war. They seem to be strick-
en- with a sort Of commercial paralysis.
They want TO get out and do some
thing; now is the opportune tune.
Why. you a put a building up cheap
er today than you could before the
war, and yet many of III supposed
good business men will wait until the
war Is over as a sign of prosperity and
pay more for the building. The wise
man will prepare now for the boom In
trade that we viii soon experience and
which will be tremendous after the
war;