Evening journal., 1918-06-26
lcontlnued From Page oneA

dupont is at It's head and has the power
TO shape It's policies, YOU shall never
have reason 60 be.
II know you have been met with the
charge that the company has made too
much money, but I believe when | tell
you the true story OF this mOney-mak-
ing YOU will not think Il questionable
on the contrary one OF the greatest ac-
complishmenls In the history OF the
commercial world MS a story Of money
made absolutely from the benefits oil
high efficiency and not from arbitrary
and despotic raising OF prices due to
shortage OF supply and sudden great
demand. In this Instance the demand
certainly was great and the source or
supply, compared 10 the need, was noth-
ing. Time has demonstrated the de-
mand Of us was ii0,OO000O pounds a
year and our total capacity at the time
this story begins was just i2OOOOOO
ponnds per year. ] am going to show
you how dupont mastered this sltua-
tion--never missed a trick--never dis
appointed customer--was always there
with the goods and we have been cred
tied with saving the British empire.
''When this awful war first started
IN Europe. and we were asked 20 quote
ftflil- NI NlAaNll VIC NWANA iANAl 80 ANA
nlshing powder and other war materials,
70 was a mixed question what the com
pany could safely undertake We could
then only make about one million
mounds month. and it was not settled
what this nations policy was TO bel
concerning the shipment OF war mate
rails The cost OF labor and the att-
fude OF labor towards the supplying
Of munitions 90 The Allies, was unset /
tied: we had In this country large
element strongly In sympathy with Ger
many-whlch created a great hazard and
who among us had thought the war
would last six months
Because OF these uncertainties the
risks involved in purchasing ana accum-
mulating raw materials al high prices
and spending large sums Of money con
structlng for such demands, were great.
"The Allies demand was principally
FOR small granulatiOns and small arms
powder including 3-inch field gun pow
der. for which our pre-war price had
been so cents per pound. Il Is gener-
allv believed that we had been selling
this powder for 90 cents but the fact
is we had only sold at that price the ,
larger granulations, such as 6-inch, &
inch. iO-inch and i2-inch powders-so
when we fixed the price Of 81 we were !
only advancing our price 20 cents per
pound.
when YOU consider the uncertainty
OF what Congress might do-the atti-
tude OF labor-the possibilities OF great
advances in raw materials. the great
hazard ofGerman sympathizers whom II
was believed would stop at nothing 90
prevent help reaching the Allies-you
cannot but admit IL was a modest IN
crease.
1T was a foreign war. Since then, /
due TO the dishonorable. brutal and dew
ilish conduct OF The German govern /
ment, we have been forced into the /
nghs, but at the time we were quoting
prices and terms to the Allies, President !
Wilson was cOntending that IL was not
our fght, that we had nothing at stake; /
neither had anything been done against
our Interest or our honor and that we
should remain neutral. Il was only nat
ursl this company should take Its cue
from the note preached by President
Wilson, which was so popular through
out the whole country as to elect him
10 a second term as President.
when you hear unfavorable crit-
tisms Of dupont by people tsday against
OUT cUtCtNN iloNI III AdAtf ANAN NAAA A"A'f
YOU may rest assured u Is made IN ig-
norance, without intelligent thought and
is absolutely unjust.
"They are Judging us by ioday's
standard which Is righteously opposed
10 pronteering and excessive money .
making out Of the war, and not by the !
standard which ruled at that time and !
which ruled the majority OF this coun- =
try when they cast their votes in ap-
proval OF President Wilson and his pol
icles, reelected him President because
he had kept US out OF the war.
"The Allied governments representa- .
tives who FIRST appealed TO us for ex- .
plosives, when they had agreed to ac- a
cept our price Of 81, wanted us TO al !.
low them TO secure us by depositing !
in banks named by them, % per cent OF {
the face value Of the contract, which !
25 per cent was to be deducted from y
the lots OF powder as delivered by US. J
Our demand was a cash payment OF 20
per cent TO be made to US without any y
conditions or restrictions attached. and Z
the balance was to be paid as each lot
was delivered Our demand was finally Q
accepted and agreed to.
1T must be apparent 10 every one {
what a different story would have been
written. and how changed would have S
been the results II we had been In I
fluenced by them and had conceded their Z
how little OF the great work 7
we have done in preparing for this war
would have been accomplished II we I
had accepted their proposal, and work Q
ed on the terms suggested and insist I
ed on by them. l have been told time d
and again by those Interested, that this c
seemed at the moment a most unjust q
and severe demand, but time had DEM II
onstrated 1t, beyond question TO be the d
wisest and most beneficial act Of all d
things that had been tlone for the Al e
lies. To It alone Is due the credit OF Il
the great extent OF the work completed. 81
II put the dupont company, the great p
est OF all organizations in America, in q
position, both In funds and confidence. n
which eliminated all fear OF loss or n
doubt as to the successful completion n
Of the contracts by both parties, 10 such !
degree, that all limits were off and s
we were ready to accept any proposi- r
tion involving any amount which con-
tanned these terms. Contracts followed :
and were accepted so fast we were
forced TO start new plant nearly every 4
day.
in this connection ! cannot say too
much OF the wonderful spirit that was
shown by the employees Of the dupont \
company. l don't believe In the whole
history OF the world, a more perfect
piece OF united effort was ever dis
played. Every man gave all that was
In him. 10 was perfect team work