The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-23

possibly actually the largest shipbuild- ing plants in the United States
 It has always been the belief of the managers of the Steel corporation that the two great centers of the iron and steel industry in the United States are to be in Pittsburg and in Birmingham The Ilttsburg district is already so developed as 10 make if model of systematic or gal ization, also of the principle of com plete harmonizing of plants and of such methods as make it possible to main- tain high wages and occasionally to in crease them while at the same time steadily reducing the cost of production
 Ultimately the Birmingham district will unless the government destroys the United States Steel corporation, be de- veloped into steel and iron making dis trlct perfectly co-ordinating with the Pfttsburg district, providing reasona ble competition with independent companies without restraint of trade in the mar kets of the south and the southwest
 One remark which was made by Mir Perkins al dinner given to the finance committee by President Crawford of the Tennessee Coal and Iron company reflects thought which has been occasionally expressed by other leading men of af- fairs. All feel that as one of the re- suits of this war there are to be estab- lished new ideal which will aid in the progress of civilization. Mir Perkins said at this Birmingham dinner that he is persuaded that there is to be as one of
 the effects of the war a combination of
 German efficiency with the ideals of the
 United States in the future relations of
 mankind which will place the world upon
 higher plane than ever before Fur
 thermore, he thought it likely that this combination of efficiency with high ideals
 might have it's visible beginning in Bir-
 mingham, thence to spread all over the
 world.
 A TEST OF PATRIOTISM Some of the business men of the United States have subordinated their feeling
 that some injustice has been done to them in Washington and especially that 1 they are by some of the authorities there regarded as seeking to make undue prof it's of the business men of the United States to the liberty loan, the Red Cross and other activities will, when the his-
 tory of these times is written, be spoken of as one of the striking characteristics of American business life of the war
 time.
 Recently two incidents have occurred in Washington which, business men feel reflect somewhat narrow view on the part of high authorities toward business men of the United States. J. P. Morgan OlLci GU HIS yacht, lHS OOTSdlT, to the gov err ment. That commission reported that
 fair price for the yacht was s450,O00. higher authority ran it's pencil through the figures and in place of them put down S375,000 It seemed as though the higher officers had repudiated the find ings of it's own commission MT. Ed ward Hardness offered his yacht to the government, not naming any price He | agreed to a proposition made by the au- hot ha q a commission. the governmental author 1 ities name another, and these two select a third highly qualified but impartial man. This commission was appointed and reported that MT. Harknesss yacht was worth fully $500 The same pencil which scratched out the figures named 1 for MT. Morgans yacht, also obliterated 1 the sum named by it's own commission 1 and substituted for the figures another sum, about s100,0o0 less. Nevertheless while these incidents-and there are many of them of similar tenor-are irritating to l business men, they have not weakened ] their sense of duty or their patriotism.