Evening journal., 1918-06-26

by reason OF our service Tor them,
"The nrst witness was ]. F. Morgan
"He called me into his ofilce one day
and said he wanted 10 tell me OF an
Incident that had been related to him
lie said he had met Mr. Delaney Nichols
the night before. Mr.. Nichols was tell
ing OF a recent visit 20 London. The
night he left London he had dined with
Lord M0ultOn who was head OF the
British Munitions Board and some
others, and Lord Moulton had made
the statement that only because OF the
great work done by Morgan & Co. In
the purchasing OF munitions. the dupont
company In supplying powder and Beth
lehem Steel Company IN supplying guns
and shells, were the British and French
armies able 20 hold their own during
1915.
THE other incident was one day lately
when I was paying a visit TO Colonel
McAOberts OF the Ordnance Department,
/ Il. 5 A. lie introduced me 10 General
Hedlam OF the British army On being
introduced the general recognized me
in a polite and agreeable way and con-
tinued his conversation with Colonel
NlcROberts. Colonel McRoberts, how
ever went on TO explain 10 him that I
was yice-presldent OF the dupont com
pany and was the one, who, through
that company, had done so much for
the Allies In furnishing them explosives.
A surprised look came over his face
ne wheeled around, facing me and
asked: What is your name? ! told
him. lie thrust out his hand saying
90 me, Please let me shake your hand
again. sir. and permit me 20 say to you
that the dupont company is entitled TO
the credit Of saving the British en-
pire
"The British Ministry OF Munitions Of
War Of London, under date OF May 1,
1917, wrote Mr. Pierre 5. dupont ex-
pressing the appreciation and gratitude
Of the British government for our In
assistance in furnishing with
out charge. plans. information and the
services OF some Of our important men
in connection with the erection of the /
Iienbury factory for the manufacture OF
powder. The closing par
,graph Of this letter voices the feeling |
II The British Ministry OF Munitions to-
ward our c0mpany-to-wlt:
"Wlll you please accept the best
hanks Of my colleagues and myself,
10Th to you personally and to your
company for the friendly and generous .
manner in which you met our request 1
or assistance and allow me 10 record /
he British governments sense Of obli-
cation 20 your company for these and
he other magnificent services II has /
TO the Allied cause
Sincerely yours.
gfgnpd d tChrfgtonhnr Addison
81 ain proud to admit we have. made !
millions OF dollars. II we had lost mil |
lions our critics Of today who con
denim us. would laugh and call MS idiots
and fools and the Kaiser would have the
laugh on this government because Il
was not prepared with powder. re-
peat | am proud we have made millions
OF dollars, but it has not been because
the company has practced extorti0n
on It's customers. either the foreign
buyer or our people here at home.
AS an example Of the spirit which
has controlled the dupont company In
Its policy OF price, I wish 10 say: we
have never raised our price TO a single
one OF our regular customers here in
The United States Bethlehem. Reming-
ton. United States, Western. Winchester,
Peters, and all other home military con-
Germs have been charged throughout the
period OF the war, our regular pre-war
prices and have also been given the
beneft OF every reduction / doubt II /
a similar treatment Is equalled by any
concern In existence
please bear In mind that when in
he beginning we fixed tho price at one
lolar, we had TO consider the fact that
he first contract Of necessity should
include the cost Of building and equip
ling the plant We believed then II
would require 10 cents per pound 20
over construction cost
I'VE had not gone far towards this
obstruction before we realized that
ulldlng material steel, lumber. coal,
alls and all kinds Of machinery as well
s labor, had increased In price so rap
ily that iS cents was required TO cover
{, and by the time we had finished the
normous construction amounting TO be-
ween seventy and eighty million dol
ars this cost had reached 80 cents per
lound
Now, please follow me closely while
We consider the increased price Of other
commodities because It better illustrates
he fairness OF dupont than any other
argument we can make.
"Our pre-war price as have already
explained. was 80 cents for powders
~ to 3-lnch. We built new plants and |
iold the product at 81. And remember .
hat from the moment the great war
lemsnd was created, every kind OF mate
'lal began 20 increase In price rapidly. 1
Steel. coal, cotton, alcohol, lumber, nj
may go over the entire list
4 our markets and you VIII find every
hing on the list from one to two hun
red per cent higher than what one
ould have bought them for at pre-war
lines and these high prices stlll remain
4 force Powder. we started at one
ollar per pound. but II has been re-
uced persistently whenever we could
feet saving in the cost Of produc-
lon. As an example ] give a table
howlng the dates Of reductions In our
rice:
october 1914 the price was, H. 800
fay, 1915 the price was. d.. .9lA
october, 1915 the price was. b.. 80
1915 the price was, Ii. 80
uly. 1916 the price was, h.. go
september. 1916 the price was, ID. AN
1916 the price was, N. go
april, 1917 the price was, d.. AIN
1917 the price was, Ii. .Ae1s
please note we reduced the price
three times in 1915 and two times In
1916. Prices OF everything used In the
fabrication Of powder were increasing
every day and one wonders how the
price Of powder could he constantly re-
ducod.
Therein lies the proof OF the won.
derfil efficiency OF the dupont company
and lts fair dealings with It's custo-
mers.