New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-12

organization of all business men in the
task of the war
Business men must be prepared to
serve, not in their own interest, but In
the interest Of ALL" he said. "They
must serve without a proft-interest.
That is to say, they must have no
proht-lnterest in the war-no profit
must be more than is normally need
ed to secure the smooth operation Of
business.
I'VE are every one of us interested
in seeing that the soldiers at the front
get the best support behind the lines.
that they get all the supplies OF NUM-
tions and equipment which they re-
duirc. This can be done only if OK
perenced business men are used to
the fullest extent, and this cannot be
unless business men, acting together,
make themselves available for the pub
lie service"
Lewis +. Pierson, chairman of the
Irving National Bank, New York, re-
ported for the American Trade Ac-
ceptance Council, a body appointed by
the American Bankers Association.
and the National Association Of Credit
Men, to study the probable effect of
introducing the trade acceptance meth
cd to this country. He said that bust
ness opinion was almost generally ia
vorable to the method, and that the
method had been adopted in some in
Gil had prepared a referendum on the
subject for submission to members Of
the Chamber of Commerce.
Il think we may now rely upon an
ample supply Of steel for the construc-
ton of ships. Our next problem is to
get sufficient number of skilled work
men. Can we get them? The Depart
ment of Labor has 100000 volunteer
ship workers on its list. The American
International Shipbuilding Corpora
ton has agreements with $4,000 skilled
men to proceed to its yard whenever
required. Although these men are not
yet skilled in shipbuilding, they have
been selected from trades where the
workers are most skilled in the hand
ling of similar tools. A bridge build
ing riveter can be trained in a few
days, steel building riveter taking a
little longer, to become expert in ship
riveting. The men in our closed down
quarries handling pneumatic tools
readily become expert, and even the
unskilled man, who has never handled
a pneumatic riveter but who can
handle any sort of tool, can be trained
in our special school at Hog Island in
a very short time to drive rivets in
thoroughly satisfactory manner. and
they are being so trained to-day"
A. C. Bedford, president of the
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
and chairman Of the Petroleum War
Service Committee, paid tribute to
the efficiency of men he called "Presi
dent WILSON'S Business Battalion"
He mentioned Chairman Hurley, Bern
ard NJ. Baruch. head of the War Indus
tries Board; Edward Stettinus, of the
War Department.; Herbert Hoover.
Vance Mccormick, chairman of tho
War Trade Board, and Colonel Samuel
McRoberts, who resigned his position
as executive manager of the National
City Bank to become one of Secretary
Bakers aides. At the mention of each
of these names the business men ap-
plauded
Mr.. Bedford repeated warning to the
American people to conserve gasolene
by giving up the practice Of riding in
automobiles for pleasure. America can
hope for improved conditions in oil
production. he said. Uncertainty sur
rounding the future of the oil industry,
he said had been cleared away, thanks
to the liberal and frank spirit in which
M. L. Requa, representing the oil dvi-
sion Of the fuel administration, has
dealt with the industry