The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-11
Ford and Firestone Also Are
Visitors at Florida Home
of Wizard.
FINDS RUBBER PLANTS
Inventor Has High Hope of
Breaking Monopoly of
Great Britain.
BY THOMAS L. STOKES
United Press Stan Correspondent

FIT, MYERS, Fla, Feb. 11.-Presi-
dent-Elect Hoover arrived at the
Edison home here today at 1890
a. m. for the eighty-second birthday
celebration of Thomas A. Edison.
He and Miss Hoover and men,
bers of the party we're met at the
dock on the Edison estate. by the
inventor and his wife, Mr., and. Mrs.
Henry Ford, Mr.. and Mrs. Harvey
FireStone, and local officials, headed
by Mayor Elmer Hough.
Hello, fisherman" Edison greeted
the President and the two
shook hands.
Hoover smiled warmly and then
shook hands with Ford and Fire
stone as the cameras clicked.
The party retired to the house
for few minutes before beginning
parade through the city.
Edison Hits Stock Craze
Edison declared himself in favor
of the additional $240o0,000 sought
in congress for prohibition enforce
ment, announced he had found forty
rubber substitute plants which can
be cultivated on large scale, and
condemned increasing stock specu-
lation as leading ultimately to panic,
in his annual interview today.
Edison's approval of increased
funds for prohibition enforcement,
came simultaneously with the arrival
Of President Elect Hoover. The aged
inventor did not discuss prohibition
beyond mere approval Of the In
creased funds.
Edison held out the possibility OF
rubber production at some future
date in states bordering on the Gulf
of Mexico, to compete with the
tropics.
Il believe those states bordering
on the Gulf of Mexico can grow
plant rubber with profit to the
farmer in case of war prices, but it
might be possible in the future to
grow rubber and keep up with the
tropics, "he said.
Finds 1900 Plants
as it true?" he was asked, shat
you have found a plant which
promises to solve the rubber prob
| lem in the United States and do
you hope to develop itthis winter2'
st have found more than twelve
hundred plants to produce rubber, :"
he replied. About forty of them will
be cultivated on a large scale"
His view on rubber cultivation,
made public for the first time, at
tracted considerable interest be-
cause of the ultimate aim of his ex-
pertinent is to find a way to break
Great Britain's rubber monopoly in
which President Elect Hoover, Ford,
and Firestone all are interested.
Synthetic rubber, Edison said. has
no future when it is quoted at %
cents a pound. He said the manu-
facture of rubber would be extended
| to provide pavement for streets, and
rubber already so has been used in
Scotland for five years.
Given Lab as Birthday Gift
Edison's interview was given in
the new laboratory on his estate
given him by his wife as a birth
day present, a surprise to him and
covered a wide range of subjects
Religion, however, was banned.
because of controversies provoked
last year when he indicated agnostic
tendencies in his interview.
Edison declared against municipal
ownership Of pubic utilities, but
said the city should control their
operation. He was asked if the
United tSates should attempt to
have the most powerful navy in the
world?
1T should build in parity with
England" he replied.
do you believe that intelligent
reading and home study can take
the place of the high tension COL
lege education?" Edison was asked.
IF the boy has ambition he
doesn't need to go to college," he
replied.
The aged inventor. who has seen
SO much of life, is convinced that
nobody is happy He was asked his
formula for happy life.
Knows No Happy Person
81 am not acquainted with any
one who is happy" he replied. He
has definite ideas, however, about
how a young man should shape his
life and what characteristics indi-
cate success.
when boy around Is or 16 Is
found trying all kinds of expert
ments, he shows ambition and the
will to work. This boy is safe for
a good career"
The inventor was asked what is
the most important thing in the
curriculum Of man who is train
ing for leadership. Capacity for
leadership" he replied, ''i5 born in
man"
Turing to two modern scientific
developments, the airplane and ra-
dio. the inventor said he considered
it probable that static would be
eliminated from radio, and said he
has not changed his opinion that
mir travail WOULD never hecornn ae