Evening star., 1938-04-28
PRESIDENT PLANS
BUSINESS PARLEY
Conference to Be Arranged
With Is Leaders Who
Promised Aid.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The ADMINISTRATORS Business Ad-
visory Council, Secretary Roper said
today. will be asked at its May -
meeting to arrange meeting with
President Roosevelt of 16 business
leaders who promised their aid in
establishing economic stability.
Secretary Roper. at the White House
said he told the President of this
plan. which he is negotiating with the
aid of John w. Haines. securities COM
missioner and intitiator of the busi-
ness leaders cooperation pledge. The
Advisory Council will meet here.
The extent to which similar CO.
operation might be forthcoming from
Henry Ford remained undisclosed after
his two-hour conversation in the
cream tinted oval dining room of the
White House.
The country is all right and always
will be all right" the 74-year-old auto
manufacturer told reporters.
He declined comment on the Presi-
dents spending-lending program or on
his general business policies, which he
frequently has opposed.
Declares Meeting Pleasant"
Everything was very pleasant" Mr..
Ford said of his talk with the Presi-
dent, whom he last had met while they
were associated in naval department
work during the World War.
The auto manufacturer was accom-
panied to the White House by his son,
Edsel Ford. president of the Ford
Motor Co., and w. j. Cameron, public
relations counsel. Sitting with them
and the President around a mahogany
Duncan Phyfe dining table were G.
Hall Roosevelt and Mariner Eccles.
chairman of the Federal Reserve
Board
Though he was chary in all his
comments to newsmen. Mr.. Ford in
dicated that no specific business sub
ject was discussed. but that the Presi-
dent and he dealt only in the most
general terms about what's going on
and what's being done in the country"
Meanwhile, the President held an
increasing number of conferences
with administration officials in prep
aration for starting his proposed
spending lending program. now be-
fore Congress.
He canvassed prospects yesterday
with Harry L. Hopkins, Works Prog
ress administrator. and Representa-
tive Woodrum, Democrat, of Virginia
chairman of House Appropriations
subcommittee.
Secretary Morgenthau today de-
scribed as excellent and fortnight
the cooperation pledge made by the
16 prominent industrialists.
Declines Forecasts.
Questioned about business condi-
tions. however, the Treasury head
declined to make any forecasts. He
noted that published indices of busi-
ness conditions had grown worse every
week.
In his talk with reporters, Secre-
tary Morgenthau said he was en-
couraged by one evidence Of business
cooperation growing out of the re-
cent Treasury invitation for cement
bids.
Although the bids were rejected for
technical reasons. Mr.. Morgenthau
said the companies appeared to be
willing to cooperate with the Govern
ment in quoting cement prices at the
cement mills, instead Of at delivery
points, as was the former practice of
the cement industry.
The Secretary indicated new bids
would be asked next week asking for
definite quantities Of cement. This,
he said. would overcome the difficult
ties Of the previous bid request. The
former bids merely asked prices for
indefinite quantities Of cement and
Mr.. Morgenthau said the large cement
manufacturers were right in declining
to bid on such q basis.