The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-30
STEEL MEN CONFER
ON WAR PROBLEMS
Discuss Plans for Supplying
U. 8. and Sharing With Less
Essential Needs.
DEMANDS ARE INCREASING
Emergency Fleet Requires
More Of Product Than the
Corporation Called For.

wi pOA obAVh SoAlOu OAs
One OF the conferences being held 20
frequently Of late for the purpose Of
speeding up the war activities Of the
Government and Of developing the ut
most efficiency in carrying on the work
necessary to the successful prosecution
Of the conflict took place yesterday after
noon In the ONCE Of J. A. Farrell. presi-
dent Of tho United States Steel Corpora
ton. at II broadway. The purpose Of
the meeting was to go over the situa-
ton as regards steel production and to
determine what proportion OF steel now
being produced. II any. could be allowed
for the less essential industries. just
what the conference decided upon was
not revealed. but It was said that a
conference will be held to-day in WASH
ington. at which It will probably be
decided what proportion Of the avail
able supply OF steel various industries
will be allowed. This proportioning will
probably cover q period Of six months
II was stated.
Among those In attendance at yes
terdays conference were J. Leonard
Replogle. Director Of Steel Supply |;
Charles NJ. Schwab. Director OF Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation (; z. A. 8. Clarke
Of Lackawanna Steel Company. Eugene
@. Grace, president Bethlehem Steel
Corporation ]. A. Farrell. president
ward N. Hurley. chairman United States
Shipping Board ]. II. Topping Of Re-
public Iron and Steel Company: Judge
r. II. Gary. chairman board OF d!rec-
tors of United States Steel Corporation (;
A. c. Dinkey OF Midvale Steel and Ord
nance Company. II. g. Dalton OF Pick
ands. Mather & Co. and J. A. Bonner Of
American Steel and Iron Institute.
At the conclusion OF the meeting In
formal statements as to the work In
hand were made by Charles NJ. Schwab.
J. l.. Renlogle and e. N. Hurley. Mr..
Hurley said that the War Industries
Board. which handles all of the Gov
ernment's war work. has . big pr ,po-
sition and that It has been q hard mat
ter to get It going smoothly. There
have been frequent changes in the mill
tary programme, he said. and every
time such a change Is made-every time
Gen. PershipIy cables some new request
or demand--rie military programme Ia
expanded. and as a consequence the
work Of the various branches must nee
essarily expand.
Pressure Of War NesAs.
I'VE haven't been giving the War
Industries Board what they ought to
have" Mr.. Hurley said. referring to the
estimates which the different depart
ments have made as to their needs He
pointed out that with many changes at
such frequent intervals in tho war pro-
gramme It has been impossible to make
demands for supplies with any degree
OF accuracy. and said that the War In
dustries Board has been hampered as
consequence. They have done re-
markably well. think he said. There
Is an enormous pressure on every de-
partment, but we flnd that It is better
TO make mistakes by going too fart
than by going too slow. The confer
enco to-day. as other conferences have
been. has been helpful in getting us
close In touch with the work OF the
various departments"
Charles NJ. Scbwab referred to a gen.
cral impression which. he said. the
newspapers. particularly the Ph!ladel-
phia dailies. had been giving that there
was some friction between the heads OF
the various departments. There Is no
difficulty OF any description" he said.
THE Emergency Fleet Corporation has
| had the greatest possible assistance
from Mr.. Baruch. Mr.. Replogle and
from the other departmental heads. The
| only question which has developed is
how the steel supply can best be dis
tributed to serve the wants OF the ma
ton. At the conference in Washington
tomorrow It Is probable that this dis
tribution will be determined upon"
j. Leonard Replogle., who has entire
charge OF the steel situation as regards
distribution, &C, steadfastly refused tC
give any estimate as to how the produc-
ton Of steel at present compares with
the needs Of the Government. That,
he said, "is a thing which had better
not go into"
The real difficulty In the present steel
| situation seems to be in the needs of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation. according
to an inference drawn from Mr.. Replo-
giles statement that the Emergency
Fleet Corporation Is needing much more
| steel than 1t asked for" Mr.. Schwat
admitted this to be a fact, saying tina,
| the Corporation has progressed further
than he had anticipated. and that the
programme had been expanded He said
that the Corporation to fulfil It's pro-
gramme as Il stands at present will
need much more steel than the estimate
which was furnished Mr. Replogle.
Looking for Extra steel.
An effort to make UP the deficiency
| will be made, however. so that the work
| of the Fleet Corporation need not be
curtailed. I'VE are going to try" said
| Mr.. Replogle, "in a meeting between the
| War Industries Board and the Elmer.
gency Fleet Corporation TO determine
| where the extra steel is to come from
| what industries are to be cut down."
Asked regarding non-essential indus
| tries Mr.. Replogle smiled and said thai
he did not like that term He said III
| did not care to consider any industry al
non-essential, but that his method o.
operation was to list the more essentia
| industries and to try to give then
preference In the final distribution
There IL no denuite programme" h,
said. THE situation changes from da,