Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

CommerSe Of the United States, at the
opening meeting He yaid:
Tearing asunder the normal rela-
tfonshfps of business and compelling
suspension Of activity in some, in
Stances to meet the emergency of a
war program - properly a function OF
eenee and aid as business may pro-
vide, but the task Of making read
!ustments or rebuilding: those same
Industries into their old uses and ef-
Hctency Is the function of business,
with such acquiescence and. aid as the
government may provide" -
The speech Of Mr.. Wheeler was es-
pecially we'll received. 1t was force
full dealing with the fundamental
phases, statesmanlike, almost idealis-
tic and quite Wilsonesque. 1t fol-
lowed closely the lines of President
WILSON'S address to Congress one
week earlier. It called upon business
the. least possible restriction and only
rnctdentaf assistance.
BUSINESS Showed that il has out
grown the feeling. of uncertainty that
came with cooperation in the gov
erpment program during the war. In
that cooperation business found it.
SELL It came to. know its powers. to
know - Fundamental conditions. to
krow- what it coufa do aud what 1t
could not do. Evsr as tia hoys who
have gone "over there" will come
back with a broader vision on life.
an appreciation of their own glorious
powers man to man, so likewise have
Ine industries seen a larger life
through their period of cooperation.
One of the biggest manufacturers
or electrical. goods illustrated how
the war service gave him a liberal
education almost overnight in his own
business. He. said that when they
thought of, cooperating with the gov
eminent they supposed by strenuous
efforts they might get $50 men in
their line, to unite. They soon found
that they had more than 1000 CO.
operating He did not even know
how big bis own industry was. He
now feels that they should hold to-
gether. and by forming an -assecia-
ton under authority Of the webb
fomerene act work unitedly for their
mutual advantage through the conn
mon good of the. industry. That is
one of the important by-products of
the War Industries Board.
x =
The relationship Of capital and labor
is one of the reconstruction problems
- most seriously consid-
The Labor cred at the conference
n... considered not in any
s''ioA' spirit Of fright or fight,
but of right. considered humanely,
and in spirit of friendliness. The
principal speakers all referred to this
as one. decision that must be made
right. 1t was interjected into the fol-
lowing speeches. regardless of theme:
Harry A. Wheeler's introductory ad-
dress; Secretary William c.. Redfeld's
on. Our Opportunity and Obligation in
International Trade; one by Charles
NJ. Sehwab, director general of the
United States Emergency Fleet Cor
poration; by James a. Farrell. on
Foreign Trade; by John D. Rookie
feller lr., on Representation in In
Reconstruction Problems.
It was felt that labor must be con-
sidered fi future tn conferences on in
dustrial matters. It. was emphasized
that such chickering's as were recently
indulged. in between William Fl. Barr
and Samuel Gompers are. to be avoid
ed as ~detrimeh tai, to the interests of
capital, industry and labor.
The convention served one very good
purpose" in clearing. the. atmosphere
regarding business. Many minds have
been in doubt and specifications have
been flying as thick as airships over
the no MANS land'' of Europe. The
business men have been brought back
to earth on a definite understanding
as to what business reconstruction in
this country contemplates, and the flu
ture that is in store for American in
dsstry II r works earnestly and unit
It was felt; that the government In
cancelinE war contracts acted in good
faith and affair spirit; releasing great
stocks in. such a way MS to mot de-
mofaffze. the markets in those COM
hoditfeS. and with no serious set
back to industry, 49,.
!
In adopting its platform to go before
Congress and. the country the con-
:!t; svention received through
Questions the clearance committee
( So, the Recommendations of
=. Ashe9: the ssh represented indus
tries in. thirty-five related groups and
ten major groups. The questions on