The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-06-29

its desperate effort to prevent build
ing by the National Government of
an armor-plate plant. the Bethlehem
Steel Co. had offered to sell armot-
plate at cost to the Government, the
editor of the Manufacturers Record
wrote to Mr.. Schwab and wired to
Senator Tillman as follows:
Baltimore, Md, June q.
Mr.. Charles NJ. Schwab. Chairman
Bethlehem Steel Co., South Beth
lehem, Pa;
My Dear Mr. Schwab-This coun-
try has not reached a point where
from an economic standpoint or from
good business morals it is proper for
it to make a dicker to change its
avowed policy in order to buy any
material at the cost of production,
This, think, you will readily recog-
nize.
l am constrained, therefore, to feel
that the Bethlehem offer to sell ar
mor-plate to the Government at cost
in order to prevent the Government
from building a plant of its own is
from every point of view mistaken
one. 1t is, I think, as unfortunate
as was the threat of the Bethlehem
Company to advance it's price of ar
mor-plate if the Government should
decide to build plant when this
government owned plant was first
proposed last fall.
l wish you and your associates
would consider this situation from
the broad viewpoint of the extreme
danger to the country, in the event
of war, so long as our muniton- max
ing business, our armor-plate plants
and 95 per cent. of our steel are
wholly dependent upon an ore sup
ply that could be instantaneously
shut off
If you for moment say that there
is no danger of the capture or block
ing of our ore supply, then you i'm
mediately say that there is no dan
ger of war, and, therefore, no neces-
sity for building up a navy and ere
ating an army, and no reason, there
fore, for making armor-plate.
You know the industry too well
not to recognize the dangers of the
present situation. You know that in
the event of war the entire limited
supply of foreign ores could instan-
taneously be cut off You know that
the 50,000,000 tons or more of Lake
Superior ores, which come through
the 500 Canal, could be shut off with
equal facility and without moments
And yet all of your plants
and all other plants in the country
producing munitions of war, and the
steel plants that produce 95 per
cent. of the steel of the country, are
subject to this danger
The danger is exactly as real as
the danger of war If there is no
danger of war with any outside pow
er, then there is no danger of this
upsetting of all the steel industry of
the country. In that case, however,
rs just stated, there would be no ne
cessity whatever for building a navy
Or constructing Notifications and
them with great guns.
Upon the iron and steel men, who
have been enriched by the vast op-
portunities of this country and of
The facilities which this country has
to them, rests a very seri-
)us responsibility. They can, to their
own advantage and at the same time
10 the nations welfare, develop these
Industries in other sections. They
,an create enterprises away from
,he coast and not dependent upon
Lake Superior or foreign ores for
he production of war supplies. and
so long as they fail to do so may
not suggest that they are falling as
patriots to recognize their RESPONSE
1ilities to the nation, though they
ire asking the nation to develop an
army and navy to protect all in
erests. theirs included?
win you not give serious thought
o this considerations
Some great iron and steel man
must take the lead, and whoever does
20 will do patriotic work for the
country which will forever rebound
o his credit. | shall be glad to see
'ou and your associates lead in the
natter.
Upon the announcement of the Of
er of the Bethlehem Company to
ell armor-plate to the Government
It cost, | felt that your proposition
Continued on Page Four.)