The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-27
PATRIOTISM OF STEEL MEN
By HOLLAND

New York, July 2s.-(speciaL)-One OF
the subordinate officers in the admins
tration at Washington is quoted as hay
ing recently said that as a whole, the
business men of the nation have re-
vealed high degree of patriotism. ex-
cepting that one body of men has shown
itself unpatriotic selfish and sodden
This officer of the government identifies
the body saying that it is composed of
the steel magnates.
No complaint has come from any of
the leaders in the steel industry that
they have been thus accused of being
selfish and sodden by a member of the
administration. Some of them did read
the quoted report with an expression of
establishment, mingled with regret. But
not a word of criticism was spoken so
, far as anyone knows, although the feel
ing must have been that the description
Of them was unfair.
| Yet the business and financial leaders,
at least in and near New York, are
speaking with high praise and some
thing like wonder at the attitude of the
representatives of the steel industry of
the United States in the conference re-
Gently held between them and the cabi-
net officers at Washington. There sat In
] consultation with the government the
men whose ability, energy, and execu-
tive capacity made it possible for the
United States within 10 years to manu-
| facture and export yearly more than
5000 100000 money value of steel products
They are the men whose industry re-
suited in the production of pig iron in
| unprecedented amounts. They have been
showing the United States that, notwith-
standing the fact that wages paid for
labor are greater than labor commands
anywhere else in the world, and are
steadily increasing, nevertheless by sys-
tenn, organization and finely developed
| efficiency they are steadily reducing the
cost of production.
These men believe that they must aid
! to the extent of their power the United
| States government in these days of war
They have promised to do that; they
have left to the government the question
of prices. They have promised the gov
eminent that they will utilize If it be
necessary, the entire capacity of their
plants in order to meet government or
ders. They have placed themselves at
tho service of the government. And
when the history of our part of the war
| is written 1t is frequently said that it
will contain a chapter that will tell in
detail the story of the cooperation of
the great men of the steel industry of
| the United States, cheerfully given, with
| the government to the end that there
may be speedy and adequate prepare
| ton for war and for maintaining the
war until peace comes.
STEEL AND THE GOVERNMENT
| Pledges of this kind are believed by
| those who should know to involve some
readjustment or disturbance to domestic
| industries that are dependent upon steel
commodities. One or two concrete ex-
amples of the probable effect of the pre-
| eminence of the governments order In
the steel industry can now be reported.
There are now in New York city under
construction two hotels. When COM
| pleted these two will be the largest in
the world. One of them is to be some
| what larger than the other Both OF
them will be able to entertain as guests
a tenantry which, in the aggregate, il
| equal to a town of considerable size
| Those who are building these hotels have
| contracted for many thousand tons OF
| structural steel. One of the hotels rep
resentS an investment by the Pennsylva-
| MIA Railroad company. The other is to
be paid for by funds furnished by the
| New York Central Railroad company.