Elsa Maxwell's Party Line - An Electron Never Lies

One of the great new developments of modern years is electronics—the science of the movement of the electron through gaseous tubes.

I know this sounds like a mouthful. It also sounds unimportant. But in this strange and relativistic world, it is really the fantastic, the microscopic and the unbelievable which is important. I happen to be very much interested in the electron; and I’m interested for the same reason that I’m interested in Bach, Cézanne, steak Chateaubriand and pandas. The electron is part of the slipstream of living.

Look at what we, with our uniquely American mechanical genius, are doing: We are taking the almost-imperceptible electron, slipping it into harness, sending it up to detect airplanes, sending it down from airplanes to detect submarines, shooting it through smokestacks to detect and measure tell-tale smoke.

But recently, in the Westinghouse Lamp Laboratories at Bloomfield, N. J., I saw what to me is one of the strangest and most awesome demonstrations of electronics yet to be made: something that puts even the marvels of television into the shade. I saw a Klystron in action.

Tesla’s Dream

The Klystron, girls and boys, is a simple, high-frequency electronic tube. Yet it makes possible the dream my old friend, Nikola Tesla had, and I actually knew Tesla, twenty-five years ago. It takes electrical energy and sends it streaming through the air. If you want power to run your car, electrically, if you want to get light, or run an electric toaster, percolator, or cleaning machine, all you have to do is run up an aerial and tap your current from thin air.

In other words, the Klystron makes possible wireless power. It may mean that our gasoline problems can be solved, in time, for good. Our cars of the future and our planes need never worry about running out of fuel. Propelled by electric motors, they will get their power from the ether, the way we get our news broadcasts today, while en route.

Coffee From the Radio

It is altogether possible, in the not-too-distant future, that electronic research, coupled with Klystron principles, will make it possible to break down matter into radiant energy and to transmit this directly through the air.

Already I see myself going over to the radio in the morning and tuning in a cup of coffee. I can see myself complaining to Station 21: “I don’t tune in on your broadcasts any more; your steaks come on with too much static.”

Last week, one of my carping friends accused me of being “pink.” I decided to use electronics in my defense. I insisted that I be taken to the Materials Laboratory of the Army Air Forces. And there I was carefully scanned by an electronic device the Army has developed to detect protective coloring.

This electronic machine, I am told, can distinguish two million shades of color.

“All right,” I said, “put me on the beam.”

A strong light was pointed at my right arm. A photo-cell picked up the reflection. Army technicians busily adjusted their controls.

Scientific Bon Mot

A few minutes later, the lieutenant in charge looked up. “We’re through, now, Elsa,” he said. “We have you typed.”

“Tell my friend,” I said. “Give him the low-down.”

My friend looked at me as though he were expecting me to wave myself in front of a bull. But the Army, true to its traditions of gallantry, made a scientific bon mot.

“The photo-electric cell has picked up Elsa’s true colors and the photo-electric cell never lies.”

“What are they, or, more specifically, what is it?”

“Red — ” began the lieutenant.

“I told you,” my friend said, letting triumph play a trill in falsetto.

“Red,” the lieutenant said, beginning at the beginning, “Red and white and blue.” And remember, the electron never lies.

(Press Alliance, Inc.)