Evening star., 1939-08-20
Head Of Pontiac
Has Own Philosophy
OF Economic Problem
When Men Are Right,
Things Are Right
Says H. }. KIineIer
- the Associated Press.

- the Associated Press.
DETROIT, Aug. 19.-"When men
are right, things are right. = " ="
That's the conviction Of Harry j.
Klingler, president and general man
aeer of the Pontiac division of Cen
eral Motors Corp, and those who
know Mr.. Klingler believe he knows
what he is talking about.
Mr.. Klingler is another of the
younger generation among the auto
mobile industry's higher-placed lead
ers. having just passed his 50th
birthday anniversary. Like many
others among the motor industry's
leaders of enviable achievement, he
obtained most of his early business
training in Dayton, Ohio, on the
staff of the Delco Co.
Except for year overseas during
the World War, Mr.. Klingler has
lived with motor cars since he got
out of school He is disciple of
patience and possesses capacity
for a tremendous volume of work
with little visible effort.
Mr.. Kingler was born in ST. Clair
Mich. July S, 1889 was educated in
the public schools of that community
and took two years of literary
law course at the University of
Michigan before getting job with
the old Chalmers Motor Co.
yv, - fv,
France with the 4th Anti Aircraft
Machine Gun Battalion.
Tall. rangy and athletically built,
Mr.. Klingler never has been afraid
of work My shoulders are broad"
he explains, smilingly, and truly
they are.
Joined DelcO Staff.
After he was mustered out of the
Army Mr. Klingler went to Dayton
to Join the staff OF the Delco Co.
There he came under the eye of
General Motors energetic Richard
n. Grant, who persuaded him to
move on to Chevrolet, another Cen
eral Motors unit. He was made
manager of the Chevrolet sales zone
II.
appointed assistant sales manager
of Chevrolet, became its vice presi-
dent in 1929 and was made president
Of Pontiac in 1888.
Mr.. Klingler has simple but
impressive credo. He outlined it in
an address to class of youths
gradua ting from General Motors
trade school. 1t contains nine es-
sentials.
Learn to get along with people,
learn to exhibit more patience than
any other man you know, learn to
respect other mems ideas and opin-
ions. learn to think problems through
to the end. learn to try to put your
self in the other fellows place, be
democratic. be loyal, cultivate cheer
fulness. work"
Cheerfullness has an important
place in Mr.. Klingler's philosophy.
Throughout the depression years,
which saw the motor car industry's
business dwindle from a high point
of $500 600 cars in 1929 to a low
of l,431 900 in 1882, he advocated
that millions of motor cars were
essential to the proper carrying on
of the countrys social and industrial
needs.
He cited the fact that nearly So
600 communities in the United
States were without rail service and
stressed the Importance of the mo-
tor vehicle to the general conomic
picture.
Urges Caution About Future.
Vigorous worker though he is, Mr..
Klngler advocates caution in at
tempting to picture the car of the
future"
Il don't know what the car of the
future will be like ne says. I'VE
of the automobile industry must 60
slowly in attempting to anticipate
future public taste
Public taste moves like the tide
and if you get ahead of it you lose
out"
The youthful-appearing Mr.. Kiln
gler is keen student of traffic
problems and the characteristics of
the average motorist.
1T is strange" he says, "how a
man who will apologize if he acci-
IDENTITY brushes against some one in
an elevator, will 60 outdoors, get be-
hind the wheel of a ton of metal
driven by 00horsepower engine
and abuse the rights of every one of
his fellow citizens"
If we all drove as though the car
next to us contained our dearest
relatives, the accident factor would
be reduced to a safe minimum.
Like all other leaders of the motor
industry. Mr.. Klingler is keenly
interested in the safety campaigns
that are being carried on by the
industry and various outside agen-
cies. And like most others in re-
sponsible posts in the automobile
industry. Mr.. Klingler believes more
education and not more laws" are
needed to aid in the safety cam
paign.
CarelessneSs and Speed.
He does not believe speed in itself
constitutes the chief factor in traffic
accidents. Rather. he says. care
lessness with speed" is responsible
for many highway tragedies.
Reverting to the car of the
future Mr. Khngler sees con-
tinued need for many automobiles in
the years to come. He points out
that there are millions of miles of
highways in the United States but
only a small part of them surfaced.
The many thousands of communities
without rail service also suggest the
need for more vehicles to bring these
communities closer together, he be-
lieves.
Mr. Klingler sees his name mis-
spelled more often than does any
other automobile industry executive.
In common with every other indi-
vidual he dislikes the omission of a
letter such as in "Klinger" or
"Kingler," but he has become more
or less accustomed to the occurrence,
which is a frequent one