The Washington herald., 1918-02-12
AIDES IGNORED
BY GARFIELD
Holland Tells Of Catchings
Attitude Of Fuel Chiefs
Order.

without remuneration VINO Is not
driven each day to the capacity of his
energy and strength. How long the
physical system can stand strain ot
this kind remains to be discovered
Two or three men have already par
tally collapsed.
Mr.. CatchIngs Is president Of one of
the important independent steel and
iron industries of the United States.
At this time there are responsibilities
upon the leaders of steel and iron in
dustries which are so ssreat as to de-
mand all their time II they are fully
TO meet them.
Meets Nations Leaders.
Nevertheless Mr.. Catchings appar-'
emily regards the service which he
can perform for the government as
FIRST in Importance. In service Of that
kind he has been brought in touch
with all the leaders of industry as
well as trade and commerce in the
United States.
He therefore speaks with authority
when he speaks for them. and as
chairman Of the war committee of the
Chamber Of Commerce Of the United
States he has felt that he was not
only justified. but under the eircum-
stances was required to set forth the
views of the great majority of the in
dustrial leaders of this country re-
spccting the fuel order whereby ten
Mondays were set apart by order of
Dr. Garfield as closed days for indus
tries OF all kinds
Mr.. Catchinss says that this COM
mittee. Of which he Is chairman. had
10 knowledge that the Fuel Admins
ration contemplated any action Of
nat kind until the members of the
- lmittee. The purpose as announced
rs so extraordinary and IL adopted
so likely seriously to impair busi-
IS activities that the committee i'm
diatcly sought DR.. Harry A. Gar
d, so that as the representatives of
nerican Industries they could learn
pm him what he really meant when
issued the order.
Drastic Action Needed.
Or Garfield told this committee
y ich spoke for the business men of
&c United States. that drastic action
was necessary in order to clear up
the situation and that this action
should go so far as to compel a COM
plete suspension OF industry for the
week days until mid March.
THIS statement was astonishing. al
though the committee believed and so
-tated that IL the formal order Of DIR.
Garfield was issued it was the duty of
business men to do everything in their
power to carry out the spirit OF the
purpose Of the order.
But vas the order necessary: In the
first place Mr.. Catchinss pointed out
TO DR.. Garfield that the order would
upon the instant strike a severe blow
to business men and to workers, es-
Decfalfy because they had received no
'ia't-nct!Oh Of it. Furthermore it would
81 to secure the result in the saving
81 coal which DR.. Garfield looked for
Eccnu5e the industries through want
Of prior information were unable to
make preparations
Again Mr.. Catchings suggested 10
DIR. Garfield that action or thBS kind.
l. hieh is unprecedented. should not
have been taken without consultation
with men who as a whole represent
The industries of the United States,
especially as oil of these industries
have organized committees to enable
the government to receive helpful CO.
operation.
Amazed by Garield.
n Nevertheless Mr.. Catchings and fell
low members of his committee as
sumed that industry of all kinds would
not have been suddenly shaken in this
way unless there was the weightiest
reason for the order. And yet the
committee, representative OF all the
Industries of the United States, was
|'compelled to speak with amazement
that DR.. Garfield should have taken
such a step without any conference at
|au with the industrial leaders through
out the country.
The Secretary Of the Treasury. Mr..
NlcAdoo. is presumed not to have
lsshared in the belief of the Fuel Ad-
that 1t was vital to i'm
pose closed days in each week for ten
weeks The Secretary mad to look at
the proposition from many points OF
|view. He was contemplating stupen-
|tious plans. whereby billions of dollars
Icould be raised for the government
before the close of the present fiscal
year. June 80.
In order to facilitate the floating of
| |the great loan. it was in his view vital
/ that industries should be speeded up.
kshould be able to earn every penny
y k,ossible, and that there should be no
curtaiIment of wages. 1t Is the Secre-
Itary's hope that many thousands of
those who receive wages will con-
tribute some part Of them to the next
liberty loan. But il the wage earn
ers. lose pay one day out of six for
Ithe next ten weeks, they may not Oe
able to subscribe as much as they
would like to subscribe to the Third
Liberty Loan
For Central Control.
One OF the reasons ascribed by Mr.
[Catchings for the sudden and extraor-
binary action OF DR.. Garfield can be
discovered in the necessity for hasty
iaecisions which are inevitable as long
as there is lacking machinery for CEN
itraI planning and control over the
separated war activities Of the gov
|crnment. The business men of the
limited States are practically unan-
inrous In favor Of central control.
There is no doubt that among indus
|trial leaders and business men the
|feeIing Is general that the closed Mon
MAY order was a mistake, and yet the
FAITHFUL observance Of It, have been
o general as to. make it clear that
1 ,usiness and industry of all kinds in
the United States are ready to follow
he lead of the government even
housh that leadership may appear to
beun "a have been mista ken