Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-03
President Of du Pont c..
Makes References to
Hopewell
AT HIGH WATER MARX
Not More Than One.Tenth of 10000
Men Will Be Utilized After the
Close of the War

We have received the following
communication from the E. /. du
Pont de Nemour and Company, Will.
mington, Del, in regard to the fu.
ture of Hopewell, the new Prince
George county city:
E. /. du Pont de Nemours & Co.,
Wilmington, Delaware,
April 1st, 1916.
Editor of the Alexandria Gazette:
Dear Sir:-This company has seen
with very deep concern the efforts
Of land spectators to profit by the
credulity of wage earners and small
investors whom they have led to be-
lieve that Hopewell, Virginia, the
town which has grown up around the
du Pont munitions plant is to be a
permanent town with bright busi-
ness future.
President P. S. du Pont, of E.
/. du Pont de Nemours & Company,
sounded note of warning in his an
nual report to the stockholders when,
after reviewing this phenomenal
growth he said, referring to the fu-
ture:-
at is hoped that new manu-
factures will be developed to take
the place of the abnormal mill
tary business, but we cannot ex-
pect to employ all Of the large
explosive plants recently built"
OF course we are conducting many
Investigations in the hope that We
will be able to make commercial use
of a large part of our present plant,
hut it would be foolish for anyone
to even dream that it will be possible
to keep up the present high water
mark Of activity.
Hopewell was built rs an isolated
plant for the making Of high eXpio-
sives. About 200 men were employed,
but since the war demands came this
number has been increased to 2O,OO0.
We have reviewed the situation very
carefully, and, lopSing at it from
the most optimistic standpoint, it
seems to us;that even with our best
efforts probably not more than one
tenth Of this number at the outside
can be utilized after the close of the
war.
This will mean many vacant houses
and the passing away of nine-tenths
of the business demands Of the pres
ent population.
Every move that the du Points have
made has been capitalized by these
money-seeking boomers. They have
tried to impress upon the small in
vestors that Hopewell would be a
permanent city.
We have: not felt called upon to
deny all kinds of Sumors, but this
thing has become so serious that we
now feel it is due to the wage earn
er and the small investor to warn
him of exact conditions, so far as
the du Pont company is concerned
Recently when this company join
cd with the State OF Virginia in lend
ing money to put the new town on
its feet, this fact was shouted from
the housctops as an evidence that
permanency on the present large
scale was assured AS q matter OF
fact this loan was made because OF
the immediate requirements OF the
town and its workers. The company
made this investment in the same way
that it helped along with sanitation
and other immediate needs.
Just now the fact that the company
is building more cottages in South
Hopewell is being advertised exten.
sively by real estate agents who
point out in their own peculiar way
that this insures gooS returns to any,
one who will purchase vacant lane
in that vicinity. The company is put
ting up cottages because it has i'm
mediate need for them, and the nee'
IS urgent enough to warrant the eX
penditure, but they are all Of tn
highest, temporary character. Th
company certainly does not regar
this building operation as anythin
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