THOMAS ES DECLARES FOR WILSON OF D1SON IV 8EAS DNS FOR SUPPORT WOODRQW MSN Electrical Wizard Declares Proved Ability and Experi ence Make Change Unwise VIEWS ON CURRENT ISSUES Tortlra Relations, Mexican Prob lems sad Domestic Trials All Are Discussed by Famoua X&Yentos. By George Creel. While the Republican party wii !n the throes of selecting a presidential nominee, Thomas A. Edison made mod est announcement of his faith In Theo dore Roosevelt as the one man fitted above ali others for the Job. Time went on, the Chicago steam roller ran over the colonel as per plan and hab it, the Bt. Ivoul convention renomi nated President Wilson and from the laboratory at Wst Orange came no comment of any kind whatsoever. Now Thomas A. Edison, while cut ting no large amount of Ice with the master mechanics of the Republican party, as they strove to make quite plain. In, nevertheless, a gentleman" of some importance where the thought Of the people of the United States !s concerned. Not only Is It the case that tils life and his genius have been de Voted to the happiness of humanity and the advancement of civilization, but certain Ulncolnesque qualities have won him an enduring place In the pop ular heart. Along with their belief In him as a mlraclo worker, people have come to a great faith in Americanism and his shrewd common , j0V. One has followed the other. sense. and now and then they have come n Tor Industrial Prejferedneae. i btlnches. He hasn't always pleased Some weeks after the two conven- me. Just as I suppose he hasn't always tlons 1 Interviewed him on Industrial ! pleased other people, but when you r1 t it Sf y v J, . - fort, 4 I V Jl KiliSwH 1 I Tbumu A. Edisbn, who recently related to an interviewer why he is supporting President Wilson for reelection. and not as Democrats or Republicans. "This man Wilson has had a mighty hard time of It," he continued. I don't believe there was- ever a presi dent who had as many bisr questions his sturdy I to decide, as many big problems o preparedness, a movement to which he has been glvlnjr much of his time and thought. Talking In ideas, rather than In words, he outlined tile inven tory of America's Industrial resources that Is being made by 30.000 famous engineers, touched upon the myriad uses to which the national laboratory will be put by scientists, inventors and technicians, and drove home the truth that the on solid rock upon which national defense may be bullded Is the I has earned the contempt of the world?' look the record over, it's so good that criticism comes close to belns nothing more than cheap fault finding. "A foot or a coward would have had the United States In all Sorts of trou ble. As it is, we are at peace, the country was never more prosperous, and we have the strength that comes with honor and Integrity of purpose." "So you don't agree with these peo ple who insist that the United States L readiness of factories and skilled workers to turn to war production at a day's notice. Something that he said gave very plain indication of bis admiration of Woodrow Wilson, and out of my own ardent advocacy I took courage to ask him whether" or not he had "made up his mind'' between Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hughes. 1 "Not yet." He shook his head Im patiently. "Walt until we Bee what this man Hughes has got to offer." It was on the day of Mr. Hughes' final speech In California, the wlndua Of his coast to coast campaign tour, that I received a telephone message from W. L. Saunders, the mining en gineer. ' "I happened to be talking with Mr. Edison yesterday,." he said, "and he told me to tell you that he was will ing4 to make that Wilson statement if yotf stlir wanted It.' I was at Mr. Saunders' office almost before the click of the telephone re ceiver had ceased to echo. Here was a chance to make a campaign contri bution worth more than money. We rode to Jersey through the Hudson tubes, and as we went Mr. Saunders told me how he had worked beneath the river bed as far back as 1881, a young man on his first engineering job. A story of broken lives and bro ken fortunes, starting with Delos Hae kins, who first conceived the Idea of a tunnel, continuing through foreign syndicates, and winding up with Wil liam G. McAdoo's -success where others , had failed. He talked also of his work tn Mex ico, Europe and the Orient, the fight of America for the conquest of her natural resources, of the difference between legitimate business and "load ed dice" business, of the distinctions that must be made between enterprise and raDacltv and as he talked It was plain that this man's support of Wood row Wilson was based on no mere party affiliation, but had 4ts source In a tried and proved Americanism. Mr. Edison at Work. Mr. Edison, as a matter of course, was not In his office, but down in the shops. A boy went after him, and as we looked down the alley that ran between the factory buildings, the' well known figure popped out of a far door. Bare headed, in his shirt sleeves, vest flying open, trouseaw ba?gy and unpressed, he Jooked like nothing ro much as a country store keeper hur rying to fill an order for a pound of prunes. Not until he came close enough to see his eyes and forehead, to catch the full "effect of his dynamic force, was the Impression dissipated. At a sort of half run he led the way Into the laboratory and sat down with the effect of wanting to get through a dis agreeable Job as quickly as might be. "Well, Mr. Edison," I began, with drawing myself by an effort from fascinated contemplation of that big, dominant face and a necktie of the vintage of '76. "we " "Walt minute," he Interrupted. Leaning back so as to gain Ingress, he pushed his hand Into his trousers' pocket the old fashioned kind that opens at the top, not at the side and drew out bunch of crumpled yellow paper. "There." he said, "everything's right there." I smoothed them out four or five sheets torn from a cheap tablet all written over with pencil, and the writ ing firm and curiously like old English print. Glancing through them, I saw that he had merely Jotted down a num ber of flat statements of political be lief. H " "But what about a discussion of these Issues. Mr. EdlsonT" I urged. "The people of the United Stateafeel that you " "Shucks:" With his flngeVs h wig gled the compliment away from him. "I aay that I'm for Woodrow Wilson. I say It because I feel that it's up to every man in times like these to take a position. But, pshaw?" He shook his head. "It's Just my opinion." "Mr. Edison has always been a Re publican." suggested Mr. Saunders, "and" Decries Talk of Party. "Don't put in anything about party." Mr. Edison caught tha suggestion and dissented Tlgorously. "Times are too erlous to talk In terms of Republi canism or Democracy. Parties are all v right. Reckon we've got to Have them .' with our system of government. But -when it's America that's at stake, -i me& have- got to vote as Americans I asked. "Bosh! Neutrality Is a mighty try ing policy but back of It are inter national law. the rights of humanity and the whole future of civilisation. Wilson : has won victories by diplo macy that are far more important to mankind than any victories that we could have won by war. 1 am no paci fist. I believe that there are times when a nation has got to fight. But war for the sake of war, ox war for purposes of conquest is horrible and unthinkable. .- As to Preparedness. "I Imagine that Wilson wasn't very keen for preparedness at first. May be so. But when he saw that intelli gent public opinion was overwhelmingly in favor of it, arid, that our own safety demanded It, he set machinery a,t work that will probably give us a sound, sane and adequate national defense. What if It was a change of mind. A president who refuses to change his mind to meet changed conditions would be a dangerous man." "You fiay here In your notes that 't would have been neither wise nor right for the United States to have reo ognlzed Huerta?" "Absolutely." Mr. Edison never gains emphasis by beating the table with his fist. He depends almost entirely upon finger shaking. "A murdierous per sonality! Had we recognized him, it would have served notice upon the world that the United States, while believing In democracy for home use, was willing to stand for despotism where other peoples were concerned. It would have been a blow to constl tutional government In every republic of South and Central America, stating to everf scoundrel that all he had to to do to win the approval of America was to assassinate a president. "No, sir. President Wilson's Mex ican policy has been wise and Just and courageous. Mexico has been a trou blesome neighbor, but war and con quest are not going to make her a better one. Both against England and then against human slavery, the United States worked out her salva tion through revolution, and It was a pretty slow, trying process." "Belgium?" suggested Mr. Saunders. "Hindsight!" exclaimed Mr. Edison. "Hindsight! In the light of two years. It's easy to say what should have been done. But at the time not a single paper or a public man even thought of anything but keeping the United States out of the European horror. At least a year went by before the world understood Just what Belgium was be ing called upon to suffer." An Instance of His Absorption. He stopped abruptly and began to tousled his hair and fidget his feet. The shop was calling him. On the way over Mr. Saunders had told me an anecdote illustrative of Mr. Edison's absorption In his work. The iron and steel experts of the world were hold ing an international congress of some sort In the United States, and one day was set aside for a visit to the great InventoKand his laboratory. Mr. Edi son had jjst perfected the phonograph, and the Angllshmen, particularly, re fused to believe it until they had seen H. The party was 800 strong, and head ed by a number of gentlemen in silk hats. They marched solemnly into the hall where Mr. Edison was supposed to be waiting. But the place was empty. Guided by an Infernal clamor, some of the American hosts entered a nearby room, and found the lnvenur on his knees watching an electrio drill bite hole in a sheet of iron. While waiting, it developed, the invention had come from the back of his head to the front, and he had dashed away without another thought of the young army marching to honor him. I seemed to sea signs of this ab sorption in Mr. Edrson at the moment and, inasmuch as we still had three precious minutes left us out of a ten minute Interview, I nudged Mr. Saun ders. He came nobly to the scratch. ' "Tarlffr he said. "There's another proof of Wilson's openness of mind," Mr. Edison de clared, hMfclnterest instantly renewed. "No matter what he thought about the Underwood law, he had the courage to admit that the European war returned the tariff to the province of discus sion. So he came to the front with his proposition for a tariff commission. That's sense! The tariff is a scientific affair, not political at all. A tariff commission Will lift the whole busi ness out of politics. It ought tp be our hope that congress will give the body all the dignity of the supreme court, so that the president will be 'n a position to get famous experts for the work. Too many men In the pub lic service already that private employ ment wouldn't pay a dollar to." As Xegards Patronage. "I suppose you have noticed the at tacks on the president because of the ! claim 'that certain professional poli ticians have been appointed to office?" I interjected. "Umph!" His exclamation was one of disgust. "Mighty picayunish ro talk about when tjnere are eo many big things demanding attention. Reckon Wilson has had a good many poor ap pointments put over on him, but taken by and large, the men he has put on guard measure up beyond the average. as i nave waicneu rum. he seems to want to keep away from the patron age squabble, and while this gives more power to the politician, it also gives us a president who's more than a mere patronage broker. As I said at the start." he con tinued, "It has Just been one big thing after another with Wilson. I have never known so many dangerous ques tions brought up for decision to any one president. Look at the general railroad strike that piled up on top of Mexico and all the other things. Why, If carried through, such a strike would throw the whole country Into con fusion, and would prove a calamity that, in certain eventualities, would have disastrous results bound to ex tend over a long period of time. I think he rose to the occasion splendid ly. Just as he has risen to every other occasion that called for courage and wisdom, and Is doing the best he can. Hindsight and Foresight. "In my opinion Mr. Hughes, if presU dent, would have found it difficult ts decide on the best course for the ger ernment to take In such matters. His capacity for hindsight, as we learn from his speeches, is highly developed, but as to his foresight we are not equally well informed." Working all day and far Into the night, as he does, the wonder is that he finds time to do any reading at all. And yet it is almost impossible to touch upon any current subject with which he is not familiar. "They say Wilson has blundered." He raised both hands to drive home his point. "Perhaps he has. But 1 noticed that he usually blunders for ward." He came Jo his feet then, but paused to say a few more words. "You can't get 100 per cent efficiency in a democracy. I don't know that we ought to want it. We would be ma chines and we would have to sacrifice too much of freedom." He rocked on his heels for a sec ond, and then, even as his hands reachea out to take some papers from a secretary, he finished with this declaration: "Mr". Wilson has now had about four years of experience, and I think that he has earned faith and trust. I do not think it a logical or sensible thing to change to an inexperienced and untried man Just for the sake of change. Or without better reasons being given for the change than any I have noticed. "Roosevelt was my choice. He had had experience, and is one of the best Americans. But the machine controlled Republican party would not have him. 'r-... t J . ... . ..... iiieieioic, i um ior woocirow vvnson. Took Another's Mail Charge Against Man C. T. SEyers Said to Have Secured Let ter to Carl P. Pucha Wnlle Investi gating Fire for Insurance Company. On complaint of C. W. Llnebaugh, postoffice Inspector, a warrant for the arrest of C. T. Myers was issued yes terday by United States Commissioner Drake, alleged to have claimed and taken mail addressed to another. Myers is said to havj been employed by the Pacific States Fire Insurance company to 1 gather information rela tive to a recent fire in McMinnville and to have taken a letter addressed lo Carl P. Fuchs from a carrier as a means to this end. Myers appeared before Commissioner Drake yesterday afternoon and hear ing was set for 10 o'clock Tuesday morning. Ball was fixed at 1500. Field Post Extensive Branch. Berlin, Sept. 3. (I. N. 8.) The "Buchhaendler Boersenblatt" of Leip sic reports that in April, May and June, 7,803,638 newspapers and 314,957 illustrated magazines were sent to German soldiers at the front. To han dle these, 400 clerks and more than 1000 laborers were employed In the central office of the field post, where Jill newspapers and letters for the troops have to be re-addressed" be cause the sender does not know where the soldier Is stationed. Fuel Shopping Made Easy. Journal reader hT the aistaiee of the "Prepare for Winter" feature Id parchasing their winter's fuel. Tonr foci shopping can be made easy by referring - to tais directory COLUMBIA PATRONS!! Here's the big thing the unusual the unique the original A photoplay without a woman in the cast without a "love interest" save that of love of country and tender affection for an orphan son But it's a picture play witft a punch a pathos a heart throb and an intensity unequaled by any yet produced Mothers -Kiddies You will feel the stir of a splendid emotion as you watch Georgie Stone Francis Carpenter and their companion i 3pVVt k&fvf lilt vSSSTfV1 f&?fjiy :wr . mril-t C- - ' The Dog Rags P. S William Hart's "THE PATRIOT" is unanimously conceded by critics to be his greatest Feature Play! A 30 Minute Laugh Guaranteed And don't forget Monday Night Fashion Show Beautiful Gowns on Beautiful Living Model Courtesy Eastern Outfitting Company The Keystone "A la Cabaret." It's just full of laugh -provoking pep and go It alone is worth the admission price. Pear Growing in Oregon- An interesting study of our own state 4 Days Only Starting Today ! The Theatre Beautiful Matinees 10c Children 5c Evenings and Sundays 15c . . , aa A'