The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-05

F. H. Gary, chairman of the board of the United States Steel corr 'ation, re- served full and detailed exposition of his view respecting the attitude of the United States toward the world war until such
 opportune moment as the vist of the Jap
 anese mission to the United States of
 fered. Upon Judge Gary's return from a
 short vacation to Alaska during the hot
 weather, he did make few brief state
 ments, concise and emphatic enough to
 make it clear that he believes that the
 permanence of American institutions and
 our national life depends upon the tri-
 umph of the United States and our allies. He also made It clear that he has changed
 the view which he took year or more
 ago-or at least it was attributed to him
 in which he intimated that the war
 might be brought more speedily to an end
 than most of us believed possible.
 Before the Japanese mission, Judge Gary stood as a special friend of the Jap anese, for he had cultivated most cordial relations with Japan when upon visit to that easternment of our allies some years ago.
 Many have been the comments upon the statements made by Judge Gary to the distinguished group of Japanese states
 men and financiers who are now visiting the United States. These comments were
 occasioned by the fact that Judge Gary
 went much farther than any other man
 of influence either in finance, in public
 life, or In industry, has gone, when stat
 ing what our attitude toward the war
 can be and very likely must be. For, in
 the first place, he told the Japanese
 commissioners that in three years or four
 years at the most, we can arm and equip
 and thoroughly prepare for military duty
 abroad, at least 150O0,000 men. Some of those who have talked informally with
 Judge Gary have been persuaded that he
 is convinced that no matter how large an army we raise, 1t can be transported
 with comparatively small loss, if any, tn
 spite of submarines across the Atlantic.
 Tn addition to recruiting and thor
 oughly equipped an army of 100000
 men, Judge Gary told his Japanese
 friends that the United States could raise
 in three or four years s100 00o,00 00O0 and can
 do that without crippling the financial
 strength of the nation or interrupting her industrial progress. No one of the lead-
 ing bankers who have given much study to the financial problems arising from the war has ventured to put the amount we
 may be compelled to raise at more than $50, ,0OO, 100000. Judge Gary's intimate knowledge not only of industry but or finance and the resources of the nation' make his estimate of $l000oo,oOOO GOO, raised by the United States within three or four years figures that have compelled
 great deal of discussion. Nevertheless
 a rapid computation, which was made by some of the financial authorities after Judge Gary made this statement, snows l that he was not far out of the way, if we | talxc as q basis of the estimate the bil- lions which the United States has found ! 1t necessary to secure in the 1lrst N months since entering the war.
 | Al almost the identical moment when Judge Gary was speaking to the Jap anese commissioners. Vice President
 Kies of the National City bank was ad- dressing that remarkable body of Amer | ican chemists that was in convention
 in this city in the last week of Sep'
 +ember. MT. Kies referred somewhat in directly. and yet inferentially with
 great emphasis to one point which Judge
 Gary was making at the time MT. Kies
 was speaking to the chemists Judge Gary said that we can accomplish these strpendous achievements in securing
 money and men without interrupting 1 our industrial progress MT. Kies seemed 1 to he persuaded that one of the most momentous lessons of the war IS the one which is now being taught to the Amer ican people and which when learned will make certain very great industrial
 progress and very great commerce espe- ciallv across the seas after the war is ended
 | If this Is to be secured. however, there must be great changes in the attitude of government and of state legislature toward industry. The government at l Washington. MT. Kies intimates, Is now showing how great is the efficiency and how vast are the results which can be accomplished through cooperation. combination and coordination. It is an object lesson which 1t is believed the people are gradually but surely learning In one sentence of his address. MT. Kies says that the harmful effects of our