The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-04-03

WIFI "lNo-OpeH dTHlSy WSICOIU1QS H10n,
women and children of every creed,
condition, nationality, tongue and
idealism- offering the protection of
an unselfish and peace-loving govern
ment, a free. education, an open field
and share in the most precious ira
ditions of patriotism that ever blessed
a people. We have poured them all
into our great melting pot of the pub
lie school and the free church and
press, and how gloriously our hopes
were being fulfilled, last June, when
10, 100000 men of all descents, marched
bravely up to the enrolling table and
cast their bot with the destinies Of
Democracy. No sun ever shone on a
more glorious spectacle.
Response of American Industry.
The patriotic response of American
industry has been quite as glorious.
However much of justice there may
have been in the taunts of rival ma
lions that we were a nation of shop
/ keepers and a country of money-mak-
ing, the American business man has
registered the unquestioned fact that
his commercialism was not practiced
at the sacrifice of patriotism and 10y
atty. However great our wealth, we
have not forgotten the significance of
our Commonwealth
eff ever there was doubt of the 10y
atty of our business men and cor
porations, the events of the past few
months have dispelled it. In time of
national peril, selfish interests van
ished and everything was made avail
able for the national defense-men,
fortunes, plants, patents, processes,
even lives. Men whose experience
and ability had made their business
achievements the wonder of the world
whose salaries ran into six and even
seven figures, whose fortunes and
financial interests were measured in
millions-forgot it all in their sense of
duty. Hundreds of OUT Captains of
Industry closed eheir desks and hur-
ried to Washington. Their zeal tc
serve the nation rivalled that of the
Boys in Khaki
The Business Volunteer.
ct wish I had the time to tell of al
the wonderful things that have come
from this entrance of the volunteer
into the business and administrative
side of the government. For years we
have been entrusting the delicate at
fairs of our government to politicians
and underlings whose chief end in life
was a fourth-rate salary, while we
left the -high-class brains and abilit!
to seek their market level in the high
places of private business. 1t is lit
tie wonder that in its relations will
the business man the government hal
been deplorab1y inefficient and that 81
wide a gap in ideals and methods hal
grown up that it has been for year.
a. public scandal that the government
was out of harmony with the mel
who were the nations greatest re-
source.
But the war has changed all this
In the face of a common menace
differences have been reconciled ant
today the men who have made in
dustry great-who have built up nat
ural resources into greatly enhanced
productive values, who have createt
our great distributive machinery ant
expanded our markets workin!
with equal assiduity for Uncle Sam
dollar a year. Never in the histor,
of the nation has there been such al
array of brains and ability at Wash
ington and never before has INCL
Sam registered such achievements.
"It is popular to belittle our pre-
paredness for the war, but if one will
consider what has been accomplished
in the short time since we actual,
went into the fray, criticism will b.
changed into encomiums of praise.
$4,000 Concerns Taken Over.
''I might tell you of the prodigiou
tasks of our shipbuilding program, o
training and equipping our army, o
building cantonment cities in days in
stead of months-which would hav
been impossible elsewhere or her
before the Business Volunteer jump
ed into harness with all his practic
and skill in making possible the i'm
possible. 1 know of great organiza
tons that have been turned over t
the government intact for specifi
tasks-unself1shly and without cos
I might tell you of inventive achieve
ments worth millions that have bee
given to Uncle Sam, free as the all
because they meant the salvation @
the nation. More than $4,000 bust
ness concerns, great and small
mostly great-have been placed un