EDISON’S VISIONS

Evening Star, Issue 18093, 7 October 1922, Page 15

EDISON’S VISIONS

POWER FOR WHOLE WORLD IN EARTH’S MOVEMENT. BUT NO PEACE. " Apart from atomic energy, tho mere movement of the earth turning on its axis and rushing through space would suffice to give us all tho light, all tho motive power, and all the heat we need, and even a thousand times more than we need.”

Thus Mr Thomas Edison-sage, sociologist, “ scientific soorcercr,” and the world’s most famous inventor—in an interview with a contributor to the Paris 1 Excelsior.’

“ But,’’ asked the interviewer, “is there any chance that one day we may bo able to capture this source of energy, which would truly put the earth under our yoke? ”

“ One day, perhaps,” Mr Edison replied, “we shall bo able to exploit these movements.

“More! One day we shall he able to exploit the rise and fall of the tides; wo shall be able to imprison the sun’s rays.’’ In parenthesis it might be noted that the American electrician Tesla has already succeeded in imprisoning a small quantity of rays of sunlight. But the great inventor would not accept the suggestion that, if humanity captured these tremendous sources of power all differences between capital and labor would disappear, because the necessity of work would bo suppressed by the provision of free and illimitable energy. “ The tendency toward striving is innate in humanity,” he said. . . . “it is certainly innate as between the man who possesses and the man who does not possess, as between the ‘ I have something ’ and ‘I have nothing, “ The advent of free and illimitable energy such as will come one day will not change in the heart of humanity this vital inborn principle which is at the basis of evolution, “No matter how illimitable may bo the sources of energy discovered, no human being can live for long without work. The pleasures of idleness are one of the world’s greatest superstitions.” Currying further these arguments, based on the ingredients of human personality, Mr Edison does not believe that wo have yet reached the end of war. In his opinion, the world is on the eve of new and formidable wars, during which civilisation may even disappear.