Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-16
w. BRADFORD WILLIAMS
On Philadelphia's Future

A HIGHLY optimistic view of the indus
n trial situation in this country. and par
ticuarly in this city, is held by w. Brad
ford Williams. industrial engineer, author
and expert with the ordnance department
Of the army during the war.
He also pays n high tribute to the cnor
nous growth of this city industrially, which
he declares is not only first in more branches
than any other American city. but is also
the most important industrial center in the
world in many things.
1.-The other day talked with John G.
Jones, chief of army ordnance in the Phila
delphia district, which district embraced half
of Pennsylvania, half of New Jersey and all
Of Delaware during the war he says.
1--WE were going over the stupPndous produr
tion. program allotted to Philadelphia by the
chief Of ordnance at Washington. and verify
the achievements Of Philadelphia during
those nineteen months were such as to make
the creations Of one Aladdin, assisted by his
responsive lamp, seem trifC. Aladdin
rubbed his lamp and produced in units tens
and thouSands-in fairy lore. Philadelphia
rubbed its eyes mt the colossal program in
trusted, nay, assigned to 1t. as its share,
its bit program demanding almost i'm
mediate production and delivery 0f munitions
of war tOtalng between S2,OOO,OOO.o 900 and
SO 5000, 900 900!
Philadelphia Went to Work
roll up its sleeves and, presto! Steel. some
of which may have been intended for plow-
shares, was made into guns bayoncts, in
Struments of the finest precision and the
greatest Importance.
ITO Mr.. Jones was intrusted budget call
ing for a greater undertaking than has ever
before been intrusted to any one man. The
last sentence is used parenthetically here,
but might well have a place in first chapters
of books dealing with the war.
There were many other large production
ccntcrs in the United States, but Philudcl-
pha was the largest. Pennsylvania pro-
duC"d the coal and steel and Philadelphia
fashioned into completion Il cornucOpia of
materials for warfare which taxed the ships
to transport and hastencd the German cmis-
Narics to the llaig- FoCh Pcrshing tribunal
with pleas for an armisticc
Turned to Peace Tasks
Then industrial Philadclphia-th Job
fuiShed-laid aside the blue prints, jigS, dies
and gauges which had been interpreted from
the French pigeon holcd the metric sy.tem
of CcntimctrrS and mi'limCterS and returned
to inches and industry in an effort to put the
productions of peace back on its feet.
when the rcvusion due to physical and
mental overstrain resulting from the super.
human efforts called forth. has subsidized
then the tales which the historians are pre-.
pairing covering the work of our city and
outlying cities arNl towns in war and in peace
will make us thrice proud, not only of our
community, but also of our citizenship
therein.
This brings up the question of present
day production or underproducton. To my
mind the present day condition is psychology
cal as well as physiological and has its cause
in the revulsiOn which is even now sweeping
the civilized world, but is soon due to pass
away. II '0U WV stO0 10 consider. the
trend of world disasters, pandemics and even
world political movements has always wes-
terly COursc-and il is a fact. Starting In
Europe, It crosses the Atlantic, spreading
over the United States or rather the cutrC
American continent. and thence to the Far
West and Far East.
Room for Optimism
Strange as the statement seems, il is
nevertheless true, aud il one will go back
over our history the statement here made
will be seen to verify itself. This leaves
much room for optimism as TO the near fu-
turc. These waves, while they seem TO re-
main lowering over us an intermnabe period
Ot time, as matter of fact soon fold their
tents aud silently steal away.
The readjustpents which we are now
worried Oyer-aSide from those which may
Ut considered as of the elements Of national
pOlitics-will to Il great extent work thcu-
selves out automatically; that is 10 say, the
conditions of cause will be fouud.to change
aud gradually the atmosphere will clear as
after long spell Of extremely bad weather.