Evening journal., 1917-05-11
Jewelers. Vigilance Committe,

NEW YORK, May SIN order that
the trade at large may be thoroughly
and correctly posted in regard to the
facts in the platinum situation, about
which so much has appeared in the
trade and daily press. the Jewellers
Vigilance Committee, OF this city. has
issued a letter and seevral circulars
covering the matter I'm all its phases.
The letter, which is entitled "lmpor-
tant Information About the Platinum
Situation" is as follows:
New York. May 8, 1917.
Dear Srs:-About three weeks ago
articles about the governments need
for platinum and suggestions that
jewellers economic in the use of this
metal began to appear in the daily
press.
The jewelers. Vigilance Commit
tee, true to its name, lost no time IN
getting in touch with the Secretary
OF Commerce and after number or
important meetings attended by
manufacturers of platinum jewelry,
dealers in platinum metal and prom
inent retailers, and after two impor-
tant conferences in Washington be-
tween representatives of the Depart
ments Of Commerce, War, Interior
and the Bureau Of Standards and a
special Platinum Committee appoint
ed by the jewelers. Vigilance Com
mittee, an understanding was reached
which was satisfactory to our gov.
ernment and to the representatives OF
the jewelry trade.
There was a period during this
time. when hasty and unnecessary
action or even adverse official public
comment might have seriously affect
ed the entire jewelry trade OF this
country.
The situation. however. has been
handled in a manner by the repre-
sentatives of our trade which the
secretary characterizes in his pub
lished statement of April 80 as
wise. patriotic and unselhsh ac-
ton, for which the (jewelry) mer-
chants and manufacturers are highly
to be commended.
We are enclosing herewith an Of
fetal statement of the Department Of
Commerce, a statement by the plati-
mum Committee of the jewelers.
Vigilance Committee and a short
statement of Facts About Plati-
mum"
These statements give you authen-
tic Information which you can use
in the event that any question is
raised as to the necessity for the
public to stop buying platinum jewel
ry and they also contain material
which it might be wise to place at
the disposal of the local papers in
which you advertise in order that any
false impression which the public
may have regarding the platinum
needs of the government may be
thoroughly dispelled.
Very truly yours,
jewelers. Vigilance Committee,
Harry c. Larter, Chairman.
Enclosed with the above letter was
the following circular which the
trade should peruse carefully in or
der that it may have absolutely cor
rect ideas Of the situation as it now
stands:
"The United States Government
has not made an appeal TO the women
of the country to refrain from buying
platinum jewelry, nor has any action
been taken by the government or by
the Department OF Commerce to in
terfere with the use of platinum by
jewellers"
This was made clear by Secretary
Redield at a conference between
the Secretary and his heads Of de.
partments and a committee from the
iewelry trade. when the statements
that have recently appeared in the
daily papers had been called to his
attention
The jewelers. presented Secretary