The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-22
ALL SAY SCHWAB
CAN DO THE JOB
nv HOLLAND


| New York, April 21.-(speciaL)-A
somewhat colloquial comment frequently
made on the day when there came from
| Washington announcement that Charles
M Schwab had been of a sudden ap-
| pointed director general of the Elmer
gency Fleet corporation was this: "If
! Schwah can't do the thing, then it can
not be done" In the days that have in
tervened since that appointment, the
| view that was taken by all who know
Mr. Schwab personally and by many who
| know only of his achievements, that he
| is perhaps the one man in the United
, States who can achieve all that is sought
in the shipbuilding programme, has been
emphasized.
] One of the gratifying features asso-
ciate With this sudden selection of Mr..
Schwab as director general of the Erner-
gency Fleet corporation is to be found
| N the evidence furnished by the APP
pointment that there is now thorough
understanding of the necessity, If this
\ government is to do big things in these
days of war, that there must be called
! to it's assistance men who have achieved
very greatly in industry and especially
men who have taken no more than a rea-
sonable interest in political or partisan
activities.
| Mr. Schwab demonstrated nearly ~
years ago, when still a young man, his
executive capacity for handling very
great propositions. For from one point
OF view and, relatively speaking. it was
as difficult task satisfactorily to ac-
complisn if the so-called billion dollar
United States Steel corporation was TO
be quickly and adequately organized, DIS
is the proposition which Mr.. Schwab now
has consented to undertake in behalf OF
the nation and for salary of 81 a year.
AS president of the United States Steel
corporation it was commonly understood
hat he received a salary of $100,000000 d
year and there were no accusations that
ne did not earn the money.
| He had as his first business as presi-
dent of the Steel corporation, the co-or-
dination and cooperation of various
corporations, some of them large which
! had been independent and which
whole represented all features of the
Iron and Steel industry of the United
States Il was almost an original propo-
sition, although it had been in part
worked out by the Federal Steel company
of IllinCis. These various corporations
we're established in many cities and In
several states.
Mr.. SchWab with swift and unerring
Judgment and skillful administration
thoroughly modified all of these various
subordinate corporations so that in a few
months the great machine moved
smoothly, without friction, and the many
thousand employees from the high-sal
a, lad off II eng falf he n;rit 49,
thusiasm and cooperation which this
young president was abel to infuse into
the entire system.
AS DIRECTOR GENERAL
OF course, as director general of the
Emergency Fleet corporation, Mr..
Schwab's responsibilities are greater and
in the aggregate the work which he
must do will be in far larger proportion
than was that associated with his
achievement in speedily establishing upon
a firm foundation the United States Steel
corporation. But he is to bring to this
national work precisely the same execu-
tive qualities and that unusual and al
most mystic mental equipment which dis
tinguish him. 1t is impossible to analyzs
the intellectual qualities which are the
possession of men of extremely great
executive capacity. Not much more can
be said than that these men accomplish
this, that or the other great thing. It
can furthermore be said that they were
masters of strategic mental resources so
that there was constantly suggested to
them as though by intuition or inspira-
ton the way by which difficulties could
be surmounted.
That was the quality of mind when
the late j. P Morgan possessed, and in
this respect Mr. Schwab has often been
spoken of as resembling that great or
ganizer and financier
THE GIFT OF IMAGINATION
Another quality which is essential u
there be the greatest executive achieve
ment is imagination. Mr., Schwab pos
ture forth in his minds eye what are Ia
be the visible results of great undertake
ings. He saw in an instant almost what
the achievements of the United States
Steel corporation were to be not only in
our home markets but in little while
in the world markets. When he took hold
of the Bethlehem Steel company he saw
as wildly with his naked eye as he now
sees with the eyes that read what the
future of this corporation was to be, and
his imagination has served him we'll
since what he foresaw some 10 years age
is now an established fact.
Mr.. Schwab furthermore possesses tact
in an unusual degree in dealing with
men AMI especially with men who deem
themselves to be of high authority He
has the power of persuasion. For this
reason it will be possible for him speed
lily to mobilize all of the various factors
Est. 1879 same Manage,
IL WHEEI LID HOTEI