Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-20
SECRETARY WILSON URGES COOPERATION
OF LABOR AND BUSINESS DURING WAR

Continued from Page One
thousands lends you greater power than
can be held by any Individual workman
with whom you treat. and it is funda-
mentally unjust for one party to a contract
TO be more powerful than the other
Some of you may reply that you are pre-
pared to do everything for your employees.
1t is good to be generous. and the workmen
may accept your charity, but let me tell you
that he would rather live in hut and eat
homlny II he felt that he had earned such
living than to live in the finest cottage
you could give him and still feel that he
lived on your charity.
"The Government has taken the stand that
We must find, basis mutually satisfactory
to employer and emplOye, ,-even u both sides
have to sacrifice something, for our indus
tries must be kept moving II this war Is to
be won.
NO TIME FOR PROFITEERING
In dealing with workingmen recently
have told them This is no time to insist on
recognition for your union. This is no time
to insist on changes of standards. If you
have been unable TO. obtain recognition in
normal times, IL you could not secure these
z changes in normal times, you should not
now take advantage of your countryts neces-
sity, you should not endanger your future
liberties by insisting upon these things at
\ this time
But to you business men say at the
same time: This is no time for standing
prejudice. This is no time to insist on
prohteering. If you have been unable to
secure abnormal profits in normal times,
uOt n
country's necessity to demand these
things"
For the last twenty years" said Mr.
Johnson speaking at the Group A meet
Ing, this nation has been Offering
great sacrifice the altar of a false god.
Happily through the war. this false god has
been overthrown, temporarily, at least. The
fa'se god Of which l speak is the principle
Of unlimited destructive competition.
THE foundation upon which the temple
to this duty has been raised is The Sher-
man act and the results of this act have
meant the sacrifice of millions Of dollars
by American business
IF there is any one thing this war, has
determined it Is that this Sherman act will
not stand tine strain of a national crisis
The Government itself has come 70 recog-
nEe this fact and it realizes now that busi-
ness must be conducted the basis of
reasonable profit.
profit is through a conference of all con-
cerned in any particular business"
The future of American business, Mr.
johnson admitted, is not clear to the
nations business leaders
DEVELOPMENTS ARE UNCERTAIN
"A year ago." he said, 1--WE thought we
could foresee what was coming. Nine
months ago were not sure. During
4 the development of the war the views have
changed materially and now we must con-
cede that the future is not clear.
"one thing, however, is certain. The
necessities of the war have expanded the
capabilities of American business far be-
yond what 1t was at the outbreak of war
and beyond what was expected. The result
Is that at the end of the war the American
business man will be facing two -alterna-
First, a tremendous overhead which he
can hardly carry, and second the extern
sion or his business to foreign countries
sufficiently to bear the burden Of this over
head.
u s. STEEL HEAD SPEAKS
The war IS an economic struggle, and
ocean commerce will win II, declared James
a Farrell, president Of the United States
Steel Corporation.
The economic struggle began" he said,
Wnen Won Kluck was Tepulsed at the gates
oi Paris and Germany's plans for crush
ing blow disrupted The Allies he pointed
OUT nave far more Resources than the Cen
usl Powers, but the latter's organization
ana coordination of all material forces Is
prolonging the war. He emphasized that
snlpsmust be had if the war is to be won.
MUST FEED SOLDIERS ABROAD
AS an American army abroad grows in
numbers he said, "the demand for tonnage
lVr It's maintenance must constantly in
crease, because these men must be supplied
rom the home base and cannot depend upon
supplies to be drawn from abroad. To meet
ms situation, the United States, through
, ,ue shipping Board, has undertaken a CO.
,,ossal program OF ship construction. Here
new enormous and imperative demand
~ steel that must be met Production
must be stimulated. as millions OF tons will
required for military necessities and the
naval and emergency fleet program.
Ne" shipyards must be built and thou
lus OF men selected and trained for the
NV service, as officers and crews OF the
sps that are forthcoming The United
sssses Is, as may be seen, definitely launch
~ upon vast enterprise Of shipbuilding on
scale ~sele which calls for the co-operatlon and
1PpVrt 0 every department OF American
industry and OF every productive interest in
satry 49, country. These ships may well be the
sIy means by which the war may be won
US and for our allies"
~ order 10 win the war, Farrell asserted,
-'nsTlea must maintain trade with neutrals,
se-..cularly non-European neutrRls. Many
1ss essential TO the national lie such as
s'tssnnne ~ wool, Brazilian manganese ore
.tnuaI trade The United Si1krs must also.
f'.ff urged conl'nue 10 sutnIf tho needs
me Lot'n-AneIItan rsDfh|Ics. 10 that