Evening star., 1923-06-14
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

When scientist meets scientist, then
comes the tug of-wits. Thomas A.
Edison is a scientist of scientists
the strictest of the sect. But he
never graduated from the Massachu-
sets Institute of Technology. His
son Thomas is graduating now.
Thomas Muller Edison may be
chip off the old block, but Is he not
quarter-sawed and hand polished?
Will he not be like other chips
ready to prove that the rising gen
Grafton knows a lot that the former
| never heard Of? That may well be.
! but can he hold job in his fathers
| laboratory? The question Is mooted,
| even by the indulgent father.
| y T y
Indulgent? Has not Mr.. Edison, sr,
| compelled all college graduates who
applied for jobs in his laboratory as
| bottle washers first to answer his
| terrible questionnaires? II the ap-
| plicant failed to answer offhand what
band led the procession of the equi-
noxes or why "Hs o" would not make
good drinking water, or whether two
times three make seven, and why
had no chance.
But shall Thomas Miller Edison an
| swer his daddy's trick questionnaires?
| Jamais de la vie! He will submit
| one for the father to answer. IL he
dares. SO the father compromises
and humbly says:
MY son is a physicist and mathe-
! matician and / am no mathematician.
{ If his mathematics are not too pro-
| fessional he can work with me, but
| IL his mathematics shoot off in the
Einsteln direction he will be practically
| of no use at ALL"
+! Z X X 4
| What is the "Einstein direction? ?
Einstein says distance, position,
| speed, time and eternity, infinite
| space and everything else is relative.
There Is no direction nor any fixed,
determined spot All is relative.
Yet science recognizes Einstein as
| the greatest scientific discoverer
| since Newton with his falling apple
proved that by ,gravitation the ap-
/ earth .and all other planets do not
| fall, but remain forever in their ex-
| act orbits. Edison, sr.. boasts now
that his science is practical" and
he fears that his sons may be run
ming off into Einstein theory.
| F'ranklin's scientific kite was a
| plaything until Edison evolved cleo
\ trio lights and motors out or II.
| What IL Edison. jr., should use the
| Edison, sr.. has used Franklin's kite
Where shall the line be drawn be-
| tween pure science" and practical
| application OF new knowledge?
| Look, for illustration, at the mag
net which lifts tons of iron out OF
a car and releases it at the touch OF
| finger on a button-Edison using
| Franklins kite. What is magne-
tism? What is electricity? What is
Einstein RELATIVELY which the world
of science tells us is greater than
Newton's laws of gravitation? Will
the Physicist Edison continue the
Edison Interpretation OF advanced
knowledge into practical application
to the world needs? If he merely
dreams, "he will be practically of no
use at all" says his esteemed father
But If his vision is so fixed upon
only Newton's and Franklin's science
that he cannot visualize progressive
Einsteinism, he is relatively ages be-
hind his father Some one-perhaps
mot even of our generation-will be
to Einstein what Thomas A. Edison
| was to Franklin. The father cannot
he. Can the son? The bridge to
| Mars has yet to be built.
x x X
One of the principles of moral
conduct laid down in the code which
| won the $4,000 prize of the Moral
| Education Institution. was Team
work" For a member of an or
ganization to fail in teamwork with
his fellow men IS set down as i'm
moral
! 1t is charged that Private Sea :
igroves of the marines. of Quantico
iCamp, who stirred up the whole camp
some weeks ago by his tale of an
ialleged unwarranted assault by @
Fl edericksburg policeman. has gone
A. w. q. L., just when he is most
tneeded. That, it is charged by his
icomrades. is breach of good team
work.
r X
After the alleged assault. Gen
Butler, in command of the marines
demanded the dismissal and punish.
ment of the policeman, which the
local authorities refused. Gen. Butler
-