New-York tribune., 1920-08-19
Bush Denies Blame
In Failing to Sell
Governments Silk
Says Market Conditions Are
Unfavorable for Disposal
of Huge Amount of War
Material on u. S. Contract

Following dispatches from Wash
iug.on intimating that the War De-
nartment was considering cancelng
las contract with the Bush Terminal
Company for the disposal of 10000, 900
Yards of cartridge silk, acquired by
the government during the war to
hold the powder charges of the large
Seld and naval guns, Irving T. Bush
discaimed the assertion that his COM
pany had been slow in disposing of
the material.
II do not know how much of the
cartridge silk has been sold" he said,
"but in view of the conditions of the
silk market during the past few
months Judge the amount is not
lsrge.'
had an interest in the contract with
the government for the disposal of
the silk. it was not charged with the
responsibility of selling the merchan-
disc. "The sales campaign said Mr..
Rush. "has been entirely in the hands
of the McLane Silk Company, also
one Of the parties to the contract with
the government
"I have several times expressed the
opinion TO the officials in Washington
having to do with the contract that
the price fixed by the government was
too high to permit the sale of the
silk under present conditions, and |
have said that the chief interest of
the Bush Terminal Company is to
render some service to the govern
ment ard We are ready to retire from
.ne conrract at any time which seems
desirable from the government stand
Ss,rt
'rrhe authorities in Washington
understand our position and l am
teadway could be made in view of the
unsettled conditions in the whole tex
tile market am quite certain that
they do not blame either this COM
pany or the McLane Silk Company for
conditions which they recognize are
entirely beyond our CONTROL"
The dispatch from Washington re-
ported that the Bush company to date
had disposed of less than 1000 yards
of the material, whereas its contract
was supposed to call for a much larger
amount. Officials of the War Depart
ment were quoted as saying that. in
their opinion. the Bush company had
not advertised the silk sufficiently or
followed up the initial advertising ade-
quately.
When the Bush McLane interests TOOK
over the disposal of the government
silk, following negotiations between
R. H. Malinson & Co., silk manufac-
turers, and the government. the peace
time uses of the fabric as material for
mems and women's garments, uphol-
stery and draperies were demonstrated
by a style show in the Bush Terminal
Sales Building in this city and by ex-
hibits in leading retail stores through
out the country. The wholesale price
of the silk ranged from about $3.50 to
$3.50 a yard for various grades, after
they had been processed. dyed or
otherwise converted into suitable
fabric for commercial purposes The
contract with the government is sand
to call for the payment of the cost
price of the silk by the Bush McLane
interests and an equal division Of the
profits with the government.
About a month ago 7. r. McLane,
president of the McLane Silk Company.
said that the promotion of the sale of
the cartridge silk was held in abey-
ance by the general drop in the silk
market, but would be revived when
market conditions became more favor
able