South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-27
BY JOHN HENRY ZUvER.

mat the people OF the Oulleu
States-which for local application
includes South Bend very particular
| ly,-can live through this European
war without losing their financial or
Industrial equilibrium, If they will
/ but hold their heads and stay sane,
/ is the consensus - opinion of South
| Bends leading business men, and this,
! quite in keeping with many Of the
| leading business men Of the country
bankers and financiers Of national
| repute.
All that is needed is an exhibition
/ OF bravery in the masses OF people,
and among business men generally,
/ very slight in comparison with that
/ required Of the fighters across the
/ brine. but a bravery quite as signi-
fcant of Americas thankfulness for
peace as theirs is of the necessities or
{ war
/ The war is teaching the United
States the interdependence of ma
\ tions. perhaps. as 1t has never been
taught before. and several South
\ Bend institutions are admittedly feel
\ ing IL keenly Happily, however they
/ are taking the situation philosophical
/ Is. are promising to do their best to
! hold up their end of the whippletree.
| and seem confident that if everyone
! else will do likewise, realizing how
\ much better off they are than If this
( country were also at war. the chasm
/ will be bridged over so far as the
\ United States-and South Bends
! concerned, and that very nicely.
! There is bound To be a certain
I amount Of hardship TO be undergone
/ by everyone. here as we'll as In Eu-
\ rope. only less strenuous in degree. a
reimbursement 10 the new conditions is
I q faL 10 al
perhaps a few months and then per-
! haps the war will be over but even
while this adjustment is going on.
South Bend is not likely TO suuer
near so much as a lot of semi-frignt-
ened people have made themselves,
and seem inclined TO make others be-
lieve.
Factory Situation Not Bad.
Contrary 20 report South Bends
} leading factories are planning to-
maintain their forces at work during
the winter as usual. The consensus of
opinion. as expressed above. with
reference to everyOne's bOuuden duty
I i'm passing through the ordeal, is
gathered from conversations with the
heads OF those factories.
The Studebaker oliver. Birdsell
I Singer South Bend chilled plow.
wooden mills and OF rien Varnish Co,
1 i'm particular. are plants that have
/ been rumored as about ready 10 flood
the town with unemployed.
Inquiries at these factories have
I failed TO elicit answers bearing out
! the assertion.
The Immediate effects of the war
upon the business Of this corporation
are negligible" SAYS +. S. Fish, presl-
dent of the StudeDaker corporation.
| "In the vehicle division the plans In
South Bend are being operated as
usual Pending the moving OF the
cotton in the southern states. we an
ticipate a reduction in the immediate
sales in those localities. Elsewhere in
the United States the vehicle sales are
normal"
With regard to the automobile di-
vision, Mr. Fish added that the fac
tories are running nearly to capacity
the effort being TO increase produc-
ton The demand for the new mod
els that are now being produced, eX-
ceeds the supply. and shows no signs
of abating, which doesn't look so
very much like cessation of opera
tiOns at the Studebaker plant.
divers Hit Harder.
Mr. Fish mentioned the moving of
southern cotton. Cotton is King, II
apDears is the present status of the
manufacturing world, more of war
time prosperity depending upon II
than most anything else. Joseph ID.
| Oliver. in discussing the situation,
calls attention TO the fact that II is
the almost total product of 10 states
and that they must have market or
else they will be unable to furnish
one for anything else.
THE effects of the war on our bust
ness are more noticeable in cur ex-
port trade than anywhere else" says
Z Mr. oliver. Our export trade which
for some years past has been an i'm
portant factor. is for the time being.
closed incident. Domestic trade
bids fair 20 be normal though much
depends upon the outcome of the cot
ton situation. Our factory is running
along with a good force which we
hope TO continue through the winter
months"
Speaking of the substitution of
Canadian and South American trade
for the European. Mr.. Oliver calls at
tention To the poor crops ard unset
tied financial condition of those coun-
tries in "a vein not altogether opti-
mistic
]. {. Birdsen of the Birdsell Manu-
featuring Co, talks similarly of
Canadian and South American trade.
The Birdsell people have also been
somewhat hit on their export trade
, by the war in Europe. we ran
busy plant the first six months of this
L
patton of a large number of ship
ments 20 the countries at war, and we
will probably have 10 carry some OF
| our output over
There has been no reduction in the
force as yet. on account of the war.
and If the domestic trade holds up
there may be none since the Bird
sells reduced their force to the ne
/ cessities of domestic trade July 1, a
month before the war broke out
| poor domestic crop in clover and al
| falfa affecting the sale Of BirdSeil
hullers may yet necessitate a further
, reduction Of the working force. but
that can hardly be charged 10 the
war
Compliments Pres Wilson.
Incidentally Mr.. Birdsen paid a
splendid compliment TO the level
medicines OF Pres. Wilson in his
Mexican anti-war police both be-
cause OF the later outbreak in Eu-
rope. and regardless Of il. He as