Evening star., 1924-01-07

PEACE PLAN FAILS
TO STIR BUSINESS
Bethlehem Steeps Dropping Of
Munitions Making Is Held
More Important.
SHOW HELPS AUTO SALES
Motor Car Dealers Facing Year Of
Keenest Competition.
SHOW HELPS AUTO SALES
BY J: C. RoYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
- NEW YORK, January 7.-The busi-
ness world today apparently found
little stimulus in the announcement
3of the. plan for promotion of world
peace which won the Box peace prize.
Leaders of various industries indi-
hcated that whether or not the plan
given the prize was proved eff1ca-
cious In preventing war between na-
tions, no plan had been advanced
or suggested among the 22.165 sent
in to the Box jury which would bring
TO an end the bitter battle for busi-
ness which faces those engaged In
American industry this year.
'. The financiers and business leaders
, found more encouragement In recent
announcements regarding the aban-
: donment of the manufacture OF ord
nance by the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany and it's newly acquired property.
the Midland Steel Works, and the In
creased activity in the artificial silk
production end of the du Pont fac
tories than in the plan brought for
ward as result of the Box offer.
n,d Of tIsnnE hey sas
have come about through a sound
judgment Of domestic and world
conditions by level-headed business
men. instead of as a result of theo-
.yetical discussion, and therefore may
be depended on to indicate the true
trend. of the future.
Show Helps Auto Sales.
=: AS to business warfare as repre-
sented by savage competition, the
automobile industry Joined battle to-
day with the opening of the New
York automobile show. Sales showed
an immediate response to the appeal
made by the exhibits and efforts of
sales representatives. and it's sesG.s
likely that the amount of business
done during the exhibition Will sur
pass any year since the holding
of the show has become an institu-
-tion.
:. The Ford company is supplementing
Its other efforts by separate eX-
htbttton which shows the Ford prod
net In all stages of manufacturing.
What the other makers must face
when the Ford concern gets down to
fighting for business in 1924 may be
judged by the fact that 1t Is esti-
mated that the profits for the COM
ing year on the schedule Of produc-
tion now outlined will exceed $780,
100000.
The profits, of the company for the
year ending June 80; 1919. amounted
on daily output far lower than is
being maintained at present. In ad-
dition the increased numbers of cars
turned out has enabled the company
to manufacture each car cheaper and
given an added margin of profit.
Marks Drop Is Ignored.
The failure of the business world to
show response to the peace plan was
rather the more remarkable since the
reactions of commerce and industry
to the announcement of the Mellon
tax reduction program had been SO
marked. However, the fall of the
franc received almost as little at
tention. Normally this would have
exerted considerable influence from
its effect on French demand for
American materials and French COM
petition in the field Of manufactured
goods. However. the business men of
this country found out that the drop
IN tne yalue OF tne marx nao not
American business and now seem to
feel that the situation France is
facing will have equally little effect.