New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-12
Cut Down Your Food to
One Third, Inventors
Birthday Advice.
HE'S JUST PLAYING
CHESS WITH NATURE
Touches on Beer. Tobacco and
WOmen-GarrisOn's Job Too
Slow for Him.

sixty-ninth birthday. Thomas A. Edi-
son described his past achievements
his present work and his future hopes
all in n phrase. "Im just playing chess
With nature" was the way he put II.
He was late in beginning work this
morning he did not reach his laoora-
tory until nearly . o'clock. "You see.
he explained, they dragged me over TO
New York 70 a dinner last night, and l
didn't get home till o'clock this morn
ing. could not hear what was gong
on. and I might better have spent the
six or seven hours doing something
useful"
The wizard does no, like dinners be
cause they are made up Of eating,
drinking. smoking and talking the
things which he thinks men overdo.
"Cut down your food to one-third or
fourth of what you have been eat
ing" he said. II eat three meals day.
That's habit and nothing else. but eat
A quarter Of what the average man
does. know It because see IT at my
own table.
"Man is not perfect yet. and you
cant take alcohol away from him all
NJ once" he said about drinking Beer
has 4 per cent alcohol Cut down the
percentage 20 or IA. Let men drink
that for twenty years and then cut u
down 10 per cent. Cut out all whis-
key and strong drinks at once.
Couldn't Hold Enough To Be Ugly.
"The theory is this" he continued.
Every mans stomach Is about the
same size. Beer with per cent alcohol
will never make the average man drunk
because he cant get enough into his
stomach. Cut down the alcohol until
ne can get merry. but not ugly
OF tobacco he said that he would as
soon see a man with a revolver "a
bow with a cigarette. "Pd have Sulli-
van law against them for any one under
swenty-one." =.
OF women he said: The instincts OF
women are good and they will have
their voice in government. lhen,
laughing. They'll have their say
guess YOU know that "a well as J.
When Mr.. Edison vas found IN his
holy Of holes in the West Orange
plant he called II "the lab ne
dropped an experiment and came for
ward in a gray buster. Two things
zero taboo. he said politics and the
The subject vas opened, however,
bv "A remark on the resignation o Mr..
Garrison az Secretary Of War
"How would you Ike the Jon? ~ he
was asked.
TOO slow for me-
what do you thin@ about the
The need the same things the navy
does machinery"
Tie was reticeut about going into de-
tails. I'VE need now things Every
navy IN the world : just the same old
thing chestnuts. If Congrc-s viii
only give US the appropriation the
Naval Consulting Board has a-Scd for
IL won. be many years before we'll be
a ticklish proposition 70 .ackle.
Believes Allies Nill Vim
lie was intensely American and pa
tviotic. and left tho impression that the
nation that discovers some new ur-
thought of thing viii wan on, in the
next war There is nothing new IN gas
bombs and weapons now IN use I'D fu-
rope. ne said.
The Allies will win ont in tho "ar
but IL will last two years longer. he
said. Men. money and the ability 20
get necessities are the essentials. This
coun,ry will not become involved, al
though the breaking Off Of diplomatic
relations is possible he would not dis
cuss the Wilson policies.
What was your best work during
the last year." the "Old Man as he IS
called here. was asked
Diamond disk and chemicals lie
referred to his experiments with car
bolic acids and their products, and with
the recording Of sound In n new phono-
graphic mystery in which he has been
absorbed Tor three weeks.