SCIENTIFIC FRIGHTFULNESS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3994, 29 July 1915, Page 3

SCIENTIFIC FRIGHTFULNESS.

WHAT EDISON MIGHT DO. j Thomas Edison says that he knows of still more cruel methods of warfare than even this war has disclosed. In a talk on science as applied to war- ; fare, lie said : j "Of course, science can find much more effective ways of destroying lito than by artillery and rifle lire, or the , use of high explosives. 1 lie possibilities of chemistrv and electricity have hardly yet been touched upon in iiHKiem warfare. They can do a lot better.” _ • i “How?” was asked. , 1

‘H. don't want to say; I «on t- ted.” "Do you know of anything better? Could you invent something more deadly than the gas bombs? ‘■Yes, J could : but 1 can't get myself to work on any such stuff as that. I don’t- want to destroy life: I want to make the world a better place to live in.” “Could electricity he used tor destroying stores of ammunition and setting" off high explosives at a distance bv wireless?’’ ' "Yes.” . “Then why don't they do ifr -That's their business, not mine. “■Wouldn’t, you, if your country was attacked?” . “Yes-, if the United states gets oho if and if mv country is attacked 1 shall help to make it worse, certainly But it is not essential that we -should get into this war. For us to think of entering the l war, of actual armed conflict with Germany—l-hat is absurd, no matter what happens. We are not prepared to light. The army we could raise would have no training. It, would be just an undisciplined moo. “If the worst came to worst, we could withdraw our Ambassador and shut our consulates. But. t-lierc ate many ways in which we could make reprisals for injuries done to us other than by putting our untrained troops on the" battlefields of Europe; and Germany can’t get over here to attack us." At least, it- is in no condition to do that now, and will not be unless it wins this war.”