New-York tribune., 1918-12-12
Industry Is Asked
For Hell p in New
National Crisis
Secretary Baker Says Lead
ing Part Must Be Taken by
American Business Man
i'm Reconstruction Work
Staff Correspondence

Stag Correspondence
ATLANTIC CITY, Dec. 11.-Newton
ID. Baker, Secretary of War, in an ad-
dress here to-day expressed his con
tidence that the genius of individual
enterprise which enabled American in
dustry to become supreme througho TOUT
the world would pilot the nation be-
yond the economic shoals incident to
the readjustment of business to peace
oasis. The Secretary spoke Of the new
opportunities and obligations of bust
ness before joint convention of hard
ware Jobbers and manufacturers at the
Hotel Marlborough Bienneim. After
describing the American army as "the
fnest spectacle that ever greeted the
eyes of man Mr.. Baker appealed to
me nations men of business to show
lhelr gratitude to the fighting men by
helplng them to transmute the valor.
unselflshness and consciousness of com
mon aims into civil life
Looks Toward Future
1--WE must make America worthy Of
the cost of war;" he said, "by building
up commerce and industry that will
contribute to the welfare and happiness
OF mankind. We must recognize our
Obligations both to labor and to busi-
ness. In spirit of accommodation. we
must build our country in which the
/ children of soldiers will come and saw.
Our fathers fought for freedom and
our fathers and grandfathers preserved
in economic and social relations the
undylng principles so sanctified in the
war war which make freedom beautiful and
life worth living"
Alter pralsing the work of business
during the war and his belief in the
honor and capacity for constructive
leadership of American men of com
merce, the Secretary of War said:
Ihe business problem of the war
was not only one of extraordinary ex-
penditure, but also of the conversion Of
plants and industries to new purposes.
However, the conversion Of plants and
industries in this country was not
nearly so tarreaching as in Great Brit
ain and France because of the shorter
PERIOD OF our active participation in the
war. Our reconstruction problem is
not so great, because of smaller casual
ties, less dilution of labor and less
subdivision of industry into specialized
war jobs.
For that reason ask you to take a
Di"NS VIC" VI tlle 'loDleHlS WlllCn now
face American business. When we get
to place where diversion can be
stopped, if the nation can get out of the
way OF American business G MUS, if we
withdraw the limitations on enterprise
as rapidly as possible, as we are doing
at Washington, the talent and genius Of
American business will assert itself
and the problems will solve themselves
under the same rules as business in
this country grew up.
Asks for Cooperation
''The feeling of frendliness between
government and business should con-
tinue. | have not in mind government
control of business, but am thinking
of means of making the vast accumula-
tions of knowledge which resulted from
the Capitalization of experts in Wash
ington continuously available to bust
ness not through extraordinary bodies,
but through such agencies as the De-
partment of Commerce and the Depart
ment of Labor.
"lntelligent cooperation must be the
basis of progress. We have reached a
new economic basis in this country, a
new level of wages for labor Level
headed intelligent cooperation will be
needed to work out proper level Of
wages"