WI Edison invents the mercury arc valve?

So while doing some reading I came across this passage on an article concerning the War of the Currents:

Converting DC power from one voltage to another requires a large spinning rotary converter or motor-generator set, which was difficult, expensive, inefficient, and required maintenance, whereas with AC the voltage can be changed with simple and efficient transformers that have no moving parts and require very little maintenance.

But then there was the mercury arc valve which was invented in 1902 by Hewitt after the War was over. What if Edison had invented it right at the time when he began constructing his power network? Could this invention save DC power?
 
So while doing some reading I came across this passage on an article concerning the War of the Currents:

Converting DC power from one voltage to another requires a large spinning rotary converter or motor-generator set, which was difficult, expensive, inefficient, and required maintenance, whereas with AC the voltage can be changed with simple and efficient transformers that have no moving parts and require very little maintenance.

But then there was the mercury arc valve which was invented in 1902 by Hewitt after the War was over. What if Edison had invented it right at the time when he began constructing his power network? Could this invention save DC power?
??? A device for converting AC to DC is going to save DC? ??? I don't get it. If anything, it would help push AC -"Look, even Edison realizes that DC doesn't work".
 
??? A device for converting AC to DC is going to save DC? ??? I don't get it. If anything, it would help push AC -"Look, even Edison realizes that DC doesn't work".

Hi,
I got my idea from these information bits when I read about the War of the Currents and HVDC, I understood it as mercury valves would solve this problem but apparently they don't.

"Direct current could not easily be converted to higher or lower voltages. This meant that separate electrical lines had to be installed to supply power to appliances that used different voltages, for example, lighting and electric motors. This required more wires to lay and maintain, wasting money and introducing unnecessary hazards"

"Converting DC power from one voltage to another requires a large spinning rotary converter or motor-generator set, which was difficult, expensive, inefficient, and required maintenance, whereas with AC the voltage can be changed with simple and efficient transformers that have no moving parts and require very little maintenance."
 
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