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'