Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-18
Continued from Page One

men willing to desert business Of which
they were the pivots and they we're willing
10 accept the most obscure positions.
HUNDREDS VOLUNTEER ALL
These hundreds OF thousands OF indi-
Viduals were supplemented by hundreds
more, who offered their entire business
establishments They came to washington
personally to make known their willingness
to serve.
ut was q tremendous confusion. Grad
ually order began to be worked out Of the
chaos. Each day as came TO my office and
saw messengers loaded with letters ] knew
that that democracy which the President
wanted safe for the world was safe for
America at least. Only few short months
have elapsed, yet out Of the confusion there
Is now order. And out CT the National
Council of Defense and the War Industries
Board has come full and orderly system,,
and not only do we know what the country
can do, but we have started the country to
do IL. All business in the United states
has acquired bias In favor 9f our national
strength in this organization.
And now for some of the things which
have been accomplished. We will take for
instance the War Department, with which
OF course, l am best acquainted.
Before the war had an army not
much larger than the police force of London.
| had met men who were hopeless and fear
ful about IT, And yet in the short months
elaDSeu since our neeu Tor expansion our
hllsdes have become peoplcd with soldiers
And ask you TO remember above ALL
that during these months not once has
criticism been voiced Of the efficiency and
ability of the members of the original stand
ing army who were called upon to train
the 10000 young men of the nation who
have since become officers in our training
camps. For peaceful nation has this ever
been equaled in hstory7'
Instead of there being discord and dis
content over these enlisted men," Secretary
Baker continued you will find at every one
of the training camps that the boys are as
proud as peacocks and can be classed as the
best material for soldiers In the world.
sIXTEEN CITIES RISE QUICKLY
sixteen cities have been built each TO
house from 10000 to $4,000 persons. They
have sprung up in desert places like Jonahs
gourd vine. The summons to produce the
materials for these great camps was in
stantly answered by business, and their
building has gone forward with lightning
rapidty.
'"rhe Government used to go about with
a market basket on its arm, but in this
crisis we found new sources of supply From
| one end of the country to the other the
spirit got abroad among business men that
| they must produce all these materials for
clothing and arming the men. The result
| is marvellous.
| at the outset there may have been dis
position on the part of some few peop.e TO
put an If or a but on their ability to do
| what the country wanted of them. But 1t
| did not take long to show them that produc-
! ton, not profits, was the thing at stake
The leader of business now says
| "'The call to us is the slme as that to the
young man in arms. 1t is not going to he
| popular to make money while some are lay
| ing down their lives
THE Republic stands fast and united and
4 ,l., y1,a n1t haN nn "a n
| the solid support of business men at home.
PRODUCTION, NOT PROFIT
There has been an orgy Of destructive
ness in the past three years. Therefore the
| prime affair for business is production
| Business that works overland, however, is
| unwisely wearing out It's strength. We
| must not devitalize ourselves before the time
| when the nation must enter into competi-
| ton with the world. Don't overwork the
| workers don't take children under age :;
don't neglect methods of safeguarding your
| workers.
| "The waves here on this beach once
| seemed to bring a message of universal
| fellowship between the nations. But I
| thought this morning / heard the voice of
| children crying in the sea, telling of an ar
rogant adversary that has lost all mercy.
| But the Ruler of the Universe does not live
| i'm Berlin. I thought these waters were
| telling of bombs dropped from the air, of a
| mad lust for territorial expansion.
| "And ] thought how close we are to
| Philadelphia, where a man first procl limed
the simple human message that we are all
| brothers here. 1t is our business today to
| make that message widen from land to
| land.
'If the cry of the waves from the shores
| OF France has brought us the message,
| freedom is in danger then ye peoples OF
| America baptized with the spirit of free
dom, will send back this answer:
CHILDREN CRY, ON THE WAVES
"Thc waves have brought us your cry
and let them send back our answer-we are
marching millions strong. our soldiers. our
| business, our industry-all pledged to this.
our war, and your war.
This age will be looked back to as the
epoch when the peoples of the world reached
the fullest maturity of unconquerable man.
hood and the last struggle between democ-
racy and autocracy took place. democracy
being overwhelmingly triumphant
Two things must come out of this war,
| First it will make the world safe for de-
| mocracy, and. second, through our wonder
full cooperation In business endeaNor and
| war production and the unifcation of ideals
unharmonized before the war it will demon
strate to the world that there is no longer
need for czars, emperors or oligarches.
History will give a great place to this
age. 1t will give great place to the boys
| who are going gladly ana Willingly 10
France TO fight, and perhaps to die. 1t will
give great place TO the smokestacks of the
nation It will join the guns and the smoke
stacks And it will be remembered, lastly,
that America gave her all in this conflict,
and out of it came victory"
| ENTHUSIASM RUNS WILD
Tremendous applause greeted the con-
cIusin, Of Secretary Bakers speech, and,
like one man, the great assembly of busi-
ness leaders rose and burst into the strains
of "The Star Spsngled Banner"
Secretary Baker brought positive word
to the directors of the Chamber OF Com.
merce that President Wilson, because OF
the pressure of affairs, could not come TO
address the conventions as had been hoped,
The directors. however, are framing a re-
ncyal Of their invitation to the President,
1--WE do not yet despair Of his coming, said
A, b, Farauhar, honorary vice president OF
the organization.
| REYNOLDS TELLS OF WORK
War" declared George NJ Reynolds
| rres,dent of the Continental and CONNER