The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-21
ACT OF PATRIOTISM TO BUILD PLANTS
 IN BIRMINGHAM

The current issue of the Manufacturers Record contains the following telegram and editorial comment regarding tn in the Birmingham district:
 Baltimore, Md, April Is, 1917. Hon. E. H. Gary Chairman United
 States Steel Corporation, New York,
 N. Y.:
 Please do not consider it presump- tuous for me to present the following thought for your consideration.
 President Wilson's proclama tion in this mornings papers should stir to the utmost limit of Americas S ability every mental and physical activity of the nation. President Wilson calls upon the country in way to quicken the life of every thinking man and to call all of us to put aside any pre- conceived notions that we may have had as to this or that plan, and to bend every energy to the enlargement of the producing capacity of the coun- try in iron and steel and coal and in every other line of manufacturing and mining activity, as well as in agrioul- ture. He calls upon us to forego the thought of unusual profits and to or ganize for larger production, as upon the output of our iron and steel works and our farms may depend the fate of Europe and America, and thus of all civilization.
 T fully appreciate the fact that you and your associates have not felt justified in large expenditures upon the development of your Alabama properties since the suit of the gov ernment against the Steel corporation with special reference to its ownership of the Tennessee Coal Iron and Rail- road company. Nevertheless. in view of the momentous hour in which we are living and of the responsibilities to all the world and to all genera tions to come on every man in this country, and especially on every great corporation may not suggest that your corpora ton could render this country and it's allies a tremendous service, win to the corporation uni versal commendation, and show the spirit which dominates it if you would disregard the existence of the suit by the government and immediately an nounce a plan for spending many mill lions of dollars in the enlargement of your iron and steel operat tios in Ala bama? You have there billions Of tons of coal and hundreds of millions of tons of iron ore. The utilization to the utmost extent immediately of these resources would be of incalcula- ble value. Should the suit by any manner of means be decided against the corporation, you could very we'll afford to have spent the additional money in enlargement of the Alabama plants at the present time, and count it if need be as a contribution to the nations welfare and the saving of civ ilization.
 "RICHARD H. EDMONDS,
 "Editor Manufacturers Record. Tn the ownership of these properties the Steel corporation is really trustee for the nation and now for civilization It cannot afford to wait any longer il the further development of these vas stores of ore and coal. We ask the off cials and the directors of the Steel corpor ation to read with great care the state ments in President Wilson's proclama tion on the following page and to act il keeping with his ringing call to the na tions patriotism to save ourselves an, the allies A superb opportunity is be fore them"