New Britain herald., 1917-08-07
MUST REDUCE WAR
 PRICES TO ALLIES
Wilson Orders Fair Charges by
 American Business Men

Washington. Aug 7.-There Is to be no more bleeding of the Allies in American intuition contracts PresT ident Wilson emphasized this policy yesterday afternoon in an mportant conference with the newly created war industries board, whose seven members he called to the White House for discussion of the duties on which they are about to enter.
 Those who talked with the pres ident were Frank A. Scott, chairman of the board; Lieut. .-Col. Palmer E. Pierce, representing the army; Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher, repre- senting the navy; Hugh Frayne, the labor member of the board; Bernard
 M. Baruch, Robert s. Brookings aud
 Robert s. Lovett.
 MT. Baruch for some time has act
 ed in behalf of the Allies in the con- summation of certain purchases. He
 also is head of what is essentially
 sub committee of the war industries
 board for the arrangement of pur-
 chases for this government. Thus
 he already is acting in the capacity of buyer for the United States, and her allies as well on occasion. Whetia-
 CT he and those associated with him
 in the purchase of supplies will be
 permanently designated for this office is not yet announced if in fact it has been decided. Associated with Baruch in making purchases for this government afe MT. Brookings, whose attention will be given chiefly to finished products
 and MT. Lovett. who will have charge of questions of priority. Herbert c. r Hoover, although not a member of l the board, will sit with the purchasing commission in instances where the purchase of foodstuffs is involved Mir. Baruch heretofore has had charge of arrangements for the pur- chase of raw materials, such as iron, l steel, copper and aluminium. Because l of his experience in this line it is understood he will continue to give 1t
 his attention.
 | So far as Baruch and his commis- 1 sion have authority only to arrange" ] for purchases for this government,
 the law still requiring the heads of 1 the department making the purchase
 to sign the contract. There is talk l of a request for legislation which will l give Baruch or whoever later may be
 named full authority to consummate
 the purchase. If, this is done it is
 expected that purchases in America ] for all the nations at war with Ger many will be made practically by one 1 man, advised of course by experts 1 associated with him.
 The proposal to effect a uniform 1 price for supplies to all allies is sure | to provoke a storm of opposition among American manufacturers and
 exporters, who have been getting all
 kinds of fancy prices for goods sold
 Great Britain, France and Russia. The cOnfereeS came from the 1 White House, however with the hn- l derstanding that the president was | determined to abolish the extortion-
 ate prices which have prevailed since | the war began and against which the ! allies have been helpless. They have l had to have war munitions and have l been willing to pay almost any price. The president emphasizes the ideas 1 which he brought in his recent state- l ment to the business interests of the | country at the time the steel men
 were in Washington. At that time he
 said profits and patriotism should not
 be mentioned in the same breath and 1 that this government was not going to
 allow blood money to be extracted for l the supplies imperatively required for l the prosecution of the war against | Prussianism. | Secretary Daniels took the mem- ! bers of the board to the White House and introduced them to the president. 1 The purpose, aside from the discus
 sion of the important matters of poli- 1 cy, was an exchange of views as to
 the details of procedure. The presi- ] dent addressed them at length.