Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-12
VAR BOARDS PRAISED
RySTANDARD OIL HEAD
/, ssord dLauds Men Who Gave
Up Business to Serve
the Nation
,opp READING IS HEARD
s.,her of Commerce of United
''s st.tes Learns of Great Progress
in Shipbuilding

M cbmpany, of New Jersey voiced
"S od praiso for tho high oiii-
wv, ~ Of President wilson's business
Sl,a.I '...,,on,, in q speech before the Cham
commerce Of tho United states
!, as annual session mere
,-rsore Is too much for each OF US 70
iis,en TO the wild stories OF the
og.,r,ist ~ kind that seem TO be tie IN
.,ah,s accompaniment of every war IN
.ar,, countr-v," he declared. Il am not
Cts.,,rder of the Government. But l
WA be lacking in fairness If, after
w ovn experiences at washington, l
n,hSsld a tribute to these men, these
~ and proven generals of our indus
~. III armies. who have grappled with the
no,ernment's problems and who are
sn,rtIv ouietly and, say here and now,
.nocessfully working them out.
9You can go through all the depart
,snts in washington and you will find
:, their head men who have unsellishly
,hsndoned their business connections TO
rrye the nation. President Wilson has
rot nauired as TO the political atiilia-
,ons Of any business man whose services
we're required They in turn recognize
in,bln not the leader of a party, but the
l,ader Of the American people, and, as
/, result of their close contact with the
government, they have gained knowl-
e5ee Of the soundneSs of the Pregidenta
policies"
Conservation of Gasoline
While declaring that the petroleum
Industry will meet every demand made
mon Il by wartime conditions, Mr..
1,a
sly Of conservation in the use OF gaso-
line.
The Allied line on the western battle.
front will hold, Lord Reading, British
ambassador to tho United States and
Lord Chief Justice of England, said in
an address tonight
1T would be foolish to minimize the
onslaught of the German horde agaiuyt
our line in the west" said Lord Read
ng "Gains have been made by the
enemy. Our line has been pushed back
But the objectlveS Of the German COM
manders have not been attained. They
win never be attained"
From 100000 men in October, 1917,
10 2s50O0 in April Of this year. is the
growth Of the shipbulding industry i'm
America, according to Meyer Bloom
field head Of the industrial department
Emergency Fleet Cooperation, in ali
dressing the chamber. He said that
shpbuilding within tho next few months
will reach degree of efficiency such as
would have been declared impossible a
year ago.
W. Leslie Comyn, president of the cor.
poration which constructed the Faith.
Americas first concrete ship, launched
on the Pacific coast recently, declared
IN speech that the ship has not leaked
drop and promises to prove a success
ineyery way.
The shipyard in which the Faith WAS
auiit was put up within Il week at a
cost Of S22,5O0. A. similar yard for the
construction of steel ships of the same
tonnase-5OO0 deadweight--Would cost,
according to the speaker, 100000 and
would require a years time to erect.
Mr. Comyn said there Is a need
Of Government aid to concrete ship
builders. He said if the Faith proves
seaworthy and Government backing is
obtained concrete ships can be turned
out Inv large numbers without inter-
ierng with any other branch of the
Industry or drawing on materials needed
in erecting steel or wooden vessels.
The Great Lakes shipbulding plants
are turning out two ships every three
days, according TO John 4. PeutUn. Tie
sid that thirty-fVe boats would be
started toward the Atlantic seaboard
Nay I, and that 1856 more would be
ready before December I. All vessels
being built in Great Lakes shipyards
are Of steel, the speaker said.
Thus far. he added, these yards have
been II per cent ahead of their schedule
IN finishing ships.
). c. Mead, Of New York, speaking
IN The absence of T.. D. Caldwell. of the
var shipping committee of that city, said
nat Efforts are being made TO do away
with the stealing" of labor by COM
Rtlng yards.
An elaborate thesis OIL International
lrade, bearing on world commerce after
ne war, was delivered by +. w. Taus-
~ chairman Of tho United States Tariff
Board.
Mr. Taussig dealt largely with eco
homlc fundamentals, which, he said,
we're misunderstood to an astonishing
dlent He pointed out that exports are
Mluaole only as they buy imports-not
money--in return \ trade balance in
god does not spell prosperity, he said.
me war provided an example of this.
Vlr stupendOus exports, he said, brought
guantlles, but it did not bring prosper
ior 1t did not bring merchandise.
N vod became plentiful and hence cheap.
iook more cheap gold to buy a given
Iuue and as result the highest prices
"A ~ both labor and goods ever known
agbed.
Inc Hog Island shipyard was indorsed
Edgar $, McKaig, secretary of the
~ shipping committee of Philadelphia,
wy said that when the history of the
~ was written the important and pa
a uS part played in it by the men at
~ lsland-both executives and labor
would clearly be realized.
uuiehtlng on the absence from the
sSoh Wednesday of L. n. Hurley,
+ San Sos.s OF the United States shipping
NJ VINO was scheduled to speak, and
Of Charles Piez, general manager
e Emergency Fleet Corporation,
~ was scheduled to speak i'm place
l,raa hurley Mr. McKaig said he
M tle reason for their absence was
a ~ SERIOUS new difficulty uncovered
sblnys ihliadelphia or Delaware River
vusiS 'us' w Mr., Plez wired that he
49, oe unable to speak, due TO tho
deahtunat nat he had been called 10 PhiIa-
20 confer with Mr. Hurley.