The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-19
BY MILTON BRONNER INEA Service Staff Correspondent

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 BY MILTON BRONNER ,tNEA Service Staff CorrespOndent)
 Peoria, H., Dec. 19.-Taking God into full partnership in ones busi- ness and giving Him the greater part of the prof1ts-that is the way to real, lasting success, according to the firm belief of R. G. LeTour- ueau, head of three plants of the machine manufacturing LeTourneau Company of Georgia, Illinois, and California.
 There is nothing phony about this. It is all in deadly earnest so far as LeTourneau is concerned. He himself gives religious talks to his wcrkmen. His big bass voice leads in the singing of hymns.
 But anybody could do this with out cost to himself. Money talks and LeTourneau makes his money talk religion.
 To God he has given 67,5 per cent of the 450,000 shares of stock in his companies. This has taken the form of a gift of that amount of stock to the LeTourneau Foun- dation, with offices in Rockefeller Center, New York City. Valued at more than $13,O00.0O0, the Foun- dation has yearly revenue of about $450 ,000. This money is en- ployed in spreading the Gospel and supporting missions. That's the LeTourneau way of showing his re- lationship with the Supreme Be- ing.
 HEARD EVANGELIST
 THEN CAME SUCCESS
 As he so seriously mixes religion with his business, LeTourneau's success story differs greatly from most Born about 52 years ago and reared in California, he never goS beyond the eighth grade ill school Forced by poverty to seek work early, he got a job in a foundry Eventually he opened small weld- ing shop and garage which he left ia charge of partner when he en- listed in the U. S. Army during the World War.
 His business went to pot and he found himself in debt. Paying off his creditors out of wages earned as a mechanic, he bought an old caterpillar tractor, repaired 1t, and got jobs ia irrigation work. He ir- vented an earth scraper and started a small factory in Stockton, Calf. The 1929 crash hit him and he found himself $200,000 in debt.
 One night during that troubled period, LeTourneau was sitting at his drawing board, trying to sketch a new machine which he hoped would retrieve his broken fortunes. He heard there was an evangelist in town, pushed aside his work and went to hear him. It was not a case of conversion. LeTourneau had always been an ardent Chris tian.
 In telling Of that night, Le- Tourneau says he truly believes he was inspired by God, because he came back to his drawing board with renewed faith, worked all night and got up from his task in the morning with the completed sket- ches of the scraper.
 He patented these and they brought riches within his grasp. The machine digs up earth, loads it, car ries it, and spreads it where it is wanted.
 From that Hateful night, Le Tour neau has never looked back. His company now owns big plants at Stockton, Calf, Peoria, H., and Toccoa, Ga.
 LeTourneau not only addresses religious meetings in his factories, attended by his employees, but flies around the country in his own plane to conduct religious services.
 In recent address to his men, he said:
 .'The idea of service to God in business is not a bargain with the Lord. It pays to serve the Lord. but not to serve the Lord because it pays"
 JUSTIFIES
 SHELL ORDER
 Recently he got a government cOltTacG 1OT uldklIlB SO,UUU,UOU WOItL of shells. Some people asked him how he could thus take active part in the rearmament program. To this LeTourneau replies:
 When Christ found the racke- teers despoiling His Fathers house, He made whip and drove them out. The aggressor nations of our day have left no doubt that they are the enemies of God and the Bible. That these nations intend to include the whole world in their ruthless conquest is no longer denied. The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be sub- ject to the powers that be, not only in the technicalities of the law, but in real loyalty. When the govern Bent representatives came to me and explained that our Georgia plant was the only one in the south equipped to fill this large shell or- der and that they especially desired @ur cooperation because we are lo- ceted both comparatively safe from attack and near the Birmingham steel mills, felt it was. right and proper to comply with their request, although I should much rather build our regular peacetime mach inery."