Replying to the statement of Mr. Thomas Edison that he had been surprised by the few inventions developed by the war, M. Paul Painlevé, until recently the French Minister of Public Instruction and Invention, said:
   "The most important scientific applications made since the war began are still military secrets. When it is all over and details of new inventions may be revealed, Mr. Edison will revise his opinion.
   "To mention only isolated cases, the processes of wireless communication and for the registering of sounds at distances, that is, by the ordinary wireless currents and by ground induction, have been marvellously perfected. All the armies are rivalling each other in skilful methods for tapping the enemy's lines of telephonic communication from a considerable distance; not tapping as it is generally understood, but by the use of a marvellous instrument that enables the sentinel in his advanced listening post out beyond the front line of the trenches to hear the enemy communications by telephone going over wires several hundred yards away.

SEEING WITH THE EAR.
   "I would mention also," he added, "a system that we perfected for finding the enemy's batteries by sound. The principle was known before the war, but it was regarded as impracticable. It has now been brought to the highest state of efficiency, and for months has been in use over the entire front.
   "It has proved so effective that our adversaries, who captured a motor-car with one of the outfits, have equipped themselves with similar appliances but lacking the delicacy and the precision of our instruments. It was France that had the entire initiative of this brilliant application.
   "Aviation has been remarkably perfected in every respect by the efforts of science and technicians. To-day a pilot goes up in all kinds of weather without fear of being upset by sudden squalls, so well have the measures for the stability of flying machines been perfected.
   "Great progress also has been made in the improvement of motors, particularly in the reduction of their weight in proportion to their effective power, so that they speed up to 150 miles an hour. Finally, in spite of the difficulties, wireless telegraphy has been marvellously adapted to aviation."
   Meanwhile it has been announced that Professor Michael I. Pupin, of Columbia University, New York, a Serbian by birth, has perfected a method to overcome static interference with wireless telegraphy.
   Up to the present the despatch of messages by wireless has been hindered for considerable periods by certain conditions of the atmosphere; but it is believed Professor Pupin's device will permit the use of wireless under any conditions. Its exclusive use will be given to the United States Army and Navy in case of war with Germany.