"Death Ray" Cause of Warm Discussion

Interested Scientists Vary in Opinion of Reported Invention in Europe.

The French newspapers are particularly interested in the new electric ray invented by the Englishman, Grindell Matthews. A correspondent of the Paris Journal relates his experiences in the laboratory of the inventor and tells how, at a given sign, a distant motor was brought to a sudden standstill, how gunpowder placed in a metal vessel and hung to the ceiling immediately burnt with a big cloud of smoke, how an electric lamp was lighted and a mouse killed instantaneously as soon as the invisible ray came into contact with any of these objects. "It will make war impossible!" is the verdict of some. "It will make war more horrible than ever! It will be the beginning of scientific crime" is the argument of pessimists. Simon Arbellot of the Paris Figaro visited the great French scientist, M. Langevin, to hear his opinion on the "death ray" and found him somewhat skeptical. "I believe," said the professor, "it is possible to kill a mouse or set fire to a cartridge at a distance by means of thermic rays. This is a simple experiment and known to all physicists. But this knowledge permits me to declare that it is impossible for these rays to traverse a metal covering and to stop a motor." The Paris Matin relates the experiences of M. Charbonneau, the French scientist, who has made a study of electric rays since 1899. M. Charbonneau thinks Mr. Grindell Matthews is making use of currents discovered by the Austrian, Nikola Tesla, some 30 years ago, and developed to some extent by the German, Herz. "With these rays," he says, "it is possible to kill a mouse, stop a magneto, or light an ordinary electric lamp at a distance of 60 feet." Conjectures are made as to whether this discovery would be a means of preventing or stimulating war. "Let us breathe again," says one, "since such an expert as Professor Langevin is skeptical about the experiments of his British colleague." "What!" says another. "do you doubt the benefits of science? Would not such a discovery have the inevitable result of preventing war? Would not mankind feel the necessity of universal reconciliatiton when confronted with such horrible perspectives?"

The Paris Victoire believes that the electric ray would be "a formidable weapon for peace in the hands of a just league of nations, it being thus able to make its decisions respected. But in the present state of world anarchy it would probably only engender new quarrels which would finally result in the retrogression of civilization." According to the London Times, Grindell Matthews' aim was to produce a link along which he could project electric energy to any point, and which would always be under control. What he had now was a means of transmitting power from one point to another, either, or both, of which might be rapidly moving. He felt confident that in the near future he would be able to transmit power over considerable distances and was continuing his experiments shortly on a larger scale in the open country where conditions would be more suitable for carrying out long distance trials. "It has been said that with such a terrible engine of destruction armies would be wiped out in a few seconds," remarked Mr. Matthews. "I am not going to argue about the possibilities for ill. Indeed, I am more tempted to hope that this power will make war impossible. Then would I feel that I have accomplished something for the greater glory of my country and mankind in general."