The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1938-10-15


World War.
Also you don't hear much about
the men responsible for putting II
in that condition. There are
two of them, one being Franklin
D, Roosevelt, once Assistant Sec
rotary Of the Navy, who, % Preei-
dent has kept his finger on the
Navy as on no other government
The other Is Charles Edison,
who has the title Of Assistant
Secretary Of the Navy, but be-
cause hts chief Is old and aiiing,
actually Is secretary of the navy
In everything but name.
II never should have taken
this Job" says Edison. II don't
don't know The bow Of . ship
from the STERN"
In peacetime, however. the
backbone Of the navy Is not 20
much the officers and enlisted
men OF the line, but the $4,000
civilian employees, most OF them
workmen In navy yards. They are
under the supervision Of the ass
sistant secretary. He must be an
industrial executive, an employer
Of labor, q coordinator Of sup
plies. Most OF oil he must UNDER
stand labor, for no amount OF gold
braid on the shoulder Of an cd.
mirai will help build battleShips
II unionized naval employees 80
out on strike.
Famous Father
Charles Edison got his indus.
trial experience In the factories
Of the famed Thomas Edison, his
father. Someone once asked II
he was following In his fathers
footsteps, which brought the re.
ply:
shoes"
:. And for o time young Edison
made O valiant effort TO avoid
those footsteps. Graduating from
college, he went 10 live In New
York bohemian Greenwich Village,
established an experimental the
alter, took UP music and poetry,
was interested In almost every
thing except industry.
II was" says Edison In re.
Prospect, zone Of fathers eariI-
est experiments"
Disappearing but indulgent, his
father waited; finally indicated
that Charles should put away
childish things. 80 today. Char.
ley Edison Is head Of Thomas A..
Edison, Inc, the holding company
for the vast Edison empire which
includes the Ediphone Corp,
Thomas A. Edison OF Canada, Ltd.
Edison. spietdorf, Corp, Edison
Storage Battery Supply Co., Ed.
son Wood Products, Edison Ce-
ment Corp, and 30 on.
Still q Poet
While his younger brother car.
ries on the research work OF his
father, Charley has been the adj
Tninistrator Of the Edison fac
tories and family fortunes.
Neither the driving Of rivets
nor the blowing OF light bulbs,
however. nor even the routine Of
government red tape has driven
all the poetry from Edison's soul.
Walk into the dining room Of the
Hay Adams House any evening
and glance through the compost.
tions the organist Is playing, and
you will probably find listed
"River, Stay Away from MY
Door," written by the assistant
secretary Of the navy.
Once when O friend saw O
newspaper picture Of Edison at o
Navy Bali patronizing o beautiful
cigarette girl. he wrote the assist
ant secretary q INVITING note
signed "Wm. o. Bosun." Edison
replied IN verse, the last stanza
reading:
"But II one night 80 high hat,
Put on the dog and rent . suit
land BY the way. don't ! look
cute?),
ANA C8per UP 2uQ W0Wm y u1h
At every Nays 'Biggern Better
Bali,
DO not begrudge II IL I get
An EYEFUL with my cigarette"
He signed It Admiral Milton
Browning Brooke"
Naval Politics
Edison has held office under
the New Deal for some time, hav-
ing been regional administrator for
the MIRA In New Jersey. How
ever, he Is not O Democrat, and
used to be listed In Who's Who
as q Republican.
Furthermore his sister Is q
Republican, having been defeated
in the Republican primary this
year as would-be congresswoman
from New Jersey.
Edison hates politics, twice
has turned down Q chance to be
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