The Washington times., 1937-09-03

BOake Carter
Hungary Pays
Edison's Answer
Inventor Right

debts to the United States. It's
only a paltry sum as far as sums
Of money go these dayS-leSS
than $20,000-but it is a gesture
by which Hungary acknowledges
a long-standing obligation.
Yet some of the big countries
notably Great Britain and
France-make no pretense at
gesture" of acknowledgment of
what they owe, but blandly come
rushing anew to Uncle Sam to
ask him to pull their chestnutS
of commercialiSm and imperial
ism out of the oriental fire in
China.
And Great Britain is spending
$4,166,000 day for ornaments!
If you failed to pay your note
at the bank, the bankers GER
tainly wouldn't let you walk in
and cheerfully make new
loan. Not only do the European
powers expect to do that with
Uncle Sam, but to cap the per-
Torrance, they also coolly ask
him to risk going to war once
more on their behalf.
They say we are suckers. If
we fall for this European come
on" again. then we'll deserve
that title and then some.
THOMAS A. EDISON, though
dead and buried five years,
two weeks ago saved one Of his
companies from going out Of
business. Hallucination, you
Sayp Listen:
Eleven years ago George
StringfeIlow, executive Of the
battery division of Edison'S COM
pany, said to the great inventor:
would you be willing to ar
range to continue as consultant
to the company after you've
passed on?"
You're crazy" replied Edi-
son.
well, you invented this bat
terry" said Stringfellow. In
your brain, in your mind, there
is information about it that no
one else has. Will you let the
staff give you written questions
about the battery every Satur-
day afternoon before you go
home? You could bring the
answers in writing every Mon
day morning"
So Edison agreed. The staff
put 81 questions to him. He
penciled the answers, notations
of a great scientific mind CIV
ing information not found in
the textbooks. Stringfellow filed
the answers and questions away,
and it was forgotten.
Then nickel was found in an
order of Swedish ore used for
battery making. The company
was distressed. Its executives
wondered if this impurity would
ruin the iron.
LET Mr.. Edison answer" said
Stringfellow two weeks ago to
flabbergasted colleagues. He
pulled out the long-forgotten
file. Eleven years ago String
fellow had written this question
to Edison: eff there is nickel
in iron, does it adversely al
feet the life of the cell?"
mo HARM" Edison had pen
ciled one day II years ago be-
hind the question. Amazed, the
executives went ahead. They
found Edison had been right.
THINK that all credit should
l. go to Stringfellow for being
keen enough to possess the fore
sigHt and to realize that great
geniuses many times work out
things in their minds but seldom
have time or the inclination to
put down their thoughts and
ideas on paper. And, when such
men are gone, it is too late.
So much is lost to posterity in
great geniuses Of that type be-
cause, being creative forces, they
never take time aside. Their
minds are constantly creating.
You almost always find a Gre
alive genius is working until the
day he dies.
A million little thoughts and
gems of knowledge never crystal
nze. They grow as Pigments
in the brain, lie there for a
little while and then are often
pushed aside by other ideas
which come crowding one be-
hind the other. Hence, if they