Evening star., 1918-02-12
WAR HAS DICNIFIED BUSINESS.
SELFRIDGE TELLS MERCHANTS
London Business Man Reviews Problems
Encountered-How Women Help-Air
Raids Feared No More Than Thunder.

=
War has brought business into the posi-
kion Of dignity it deserves in the affairs
Of the world, Harry Gordon Selfridge,
London department store owner, told
gathering of more than a hundred
Washington merchants at the Willard
Hotel yesterday afternoon.
"One thing this war has given US,
he said, "is an opportunity to demon
strate the part business plays in the
state. We are seeing less of that snob-
bish feeling that business is not digni-
Ned. We have seen young men who
turned down positions in a business
establishment to take up the civil
service or to turn to the law. There
ISN'T anybody nowadays looking for a
lawyer. They want men of business
training. There isn't q higher compli-
ment you can pay a man now than to
say he conducts his affairs In busi-
nesslike way. .."
Business Coming Into Its Own.
{. Fl say, business now is coming into
j
business men themselves if 1t does not
retain this prestige after the war 1t
Is your privilege, you merchants Of the
twentieth century. to put business back
where it was in the days of Queen
Elizabeth. when the flag followed the
trader, and when men went to distant
Hands to trade their goods because they
heard in the market that there was
business to be done there"
The assembiage which filed the
small ballroom of the hotel included
practically all of the representative
business men of the city, and they ap-
Dlauded generously every time Mr.
Selfridge referred to the fact that he is
an American citizen, who only eight
years ago transferred his business field
10 London.
In welcoming the visiting merchant to
How declared that such steps as Mr.
Eelfridge took when he carried his
American business methods into Eng
land will do much to bring nations to-
gether in a better understanding of
one another after this war.
i London First Frowned on Idea.
Mr.. Brownlow told of visits to the
Selfridge store in London shortly after
It was established. The Commissioner
related how the people of London first
frowned upon the introduction of an
American-planned department store into
their country and even avoided it.
When he again visited London. several
years after the store had been estab-
Iished, Mr.. Brownlow said he found
complete change of feeling toward the
Sefridge store. with its American inno-
v1tions. Mr.. Brownlow said he did not
feel that 1t was necessary for him to
hand the keys of Washington to Mr..
0lG IL H.,
to the nation-American citizenship
papers
In beginning his address Mr.. Selfridge
said he realized it probably is difficult
for the merchants Of this country to
feel the effects of war as fully as the
business men of London, who for three
and half years have lived almost in
the fighting zone.
He related many occurrences of the
arst few days of the war; how the mag
nitude Of the impending conflict gradu-
ally dawned on the people. Business and
financial circles became hysterical.
Cropped in First Days of the War.
For a brief period" said the Lon
doner. no one knew what the outcome
/ ship which a few days ago brought me
to this country, we were cropping our
way. not knowing what was ahead us.
The more timid merchants were for
laying Off help and in various other
ways The stronger ones, however.
were for keeping ahead Then the
government stepped in, quietly called
merchants explained the size of the
undertaking. but said it was not the
desire that employees be laid off,"
This attitude on the part of the gov
ernment served to quiet the atmosphere
considerably. the speaker went on. and
gradually business began to adjust
itself to wartime conditions. The labor
question. he said. was the first to come
up-
T don't know that you merchants
on this side will ever reach the point
where you will have to call on many
of your women. The very first day
men went to the colors and at present
we have 1904 men in the service.
4 Women Took Places of Men.
'-This gap was more than filed by
older men. one-arm men. one-legged
men, 'gassed' men and, most of all. by
our splendid women. who have done
manual labor cheerfully. without
1nurmur.''
Mr.. selfridge stated that. notwith-
standing the fact that economy has
been preached constantly in England
since the day the war began. business
throughout the nation has prospered.
'"The people saw the need for econ
practiced 1t, far as luxuries were
concerned. The luxury business has
practically ceased to exist. But when
men and women get wages much high.
er than they ever earned before they
are bound to spend and make unusual
Business
Mr.. Selridge pointed to an increase
IN the sale of secondhand pianos as
one instance to illustrate his point
Many families. he explained whose in
4 come had been 25 shillings week.
suddenly finding themselves with from
ca to fo a week as result Of war sal
aries have bought secondhand pianos
and similar household effects they were
never able to enjoy before. There are no
new pianos being sold in England, said
the speaker.
"And So notwithstanding the urgent
appeals for economy, there has been,
not a great but very fair amount of
business, enough to allow us to pay
our excess profits to the government
Stores Cooperate With Government
The speaker related in detail how the
stores throughout England, and the
Selfridge store In particular, have CO.
operated with the government in the
sale of war bonds and war savings GER
tidcates.
During the Cshri at ma q shopninp O nerfod