Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-05-06

Necessary, Johnson |;
Tells u. 5. Chamber /
Defense Secretary johnson fired
q blast at power seeking officials
of big business" last night and
said, at the same time, strategic
considerations dictate giving or
ders for war materials 10 widely
scattered small concerns.
Mr.. johnson addressed the ban
quet ending the 37th annual
meeting of the United States
Chamber of Commerce. Present.
ed at the dinner were Herman w.
Steinkraus. president of the
Bridgeport Conn. Brass Co.
newly elected president. and other
officers. Mr.. Steinkraus succeeds
Earl O. Shreve of New York, for
mer General Electric Co. vice
president.
The new president, at a press
conference earlier, foresaw con-
tinued "leveling of" from the
postwar boom, but said he is sure
business can meet the problems.
Ellsworth c. Alvord. Washing
ton attorney. was reelected treas
urer of the national chamber.
Small Groups Held Safeguarded.
Laying the basis for his blow at
big business, Mr.. johnson asserted
that the hundreds Of thousands
of small businesses and the mil
lions of independent farmers "are
our basic safeguard against the
dangers of statism." Then he
added: T n
1T is high time that those few1
power seeking and merger-mad
corporation officials in our midst |
realize that the enemies of our
economic system are gambling on
the hope that American big bust
ness, by concentrating more and
more economic power in fewer
and fewer business enterprises. |
will finally drive us into some |
form of the corporate state which |
can readily be seized by a small
group of ruthless men to spell the |
death knell Of freedom"
The very dispersion of small
business offers special incen-
tive In an atomic age to give
them orders for military supplies,
Mr.. johnson said. If an atomic
war comes, he went on, it must be
assumed that the first targets will
be the big industrial centers.
Hits ut Contract Brokers.
1T is. therefore, good procure
ment planning for peace or war
to give orders to small businesses
now" he said. In this way. we
will be developing our potential
national assets, strengthen our
selves defensively and alleviate
the evils of the huge overcrowded
industrial CITY,"
He said emphatically that 1t is
unnecessary for small business
to hire broker to get a Govern
nent contract. There is no need
for Is per centers, 10 per centers
or even S per centers," he asserted.
Mr.. Steinkraus referred to the
present "leveling off" as whole
some and said some concerns al
ready have completed readjust-
ment.
Concerning the Hoover Com
mission report, he said that when
the people learn what is in it and
what specific things Government
does that can be done better, Con-
gress will see that reforms are
carried out.
Mr.. Steinkraus, So. and a native
of Cleveland. prides himself on
being salesman and on the fact
his company has never had a
strike. On the subject of labor
legislation, he said he Is optimistic
that a fair new law can be worked
out.
World War Veteran.
The new chamber president is
q veteran of World War I, in
which he won the Distinguished
Service Cross. He was a member
of the management group of the
Presidents Labor Management
Conference of 1945. At Bridge
port he led in organizing a SYM
phony orchestra and a community
sports center.
Six vice presidents were chosen
by the directors. Newly elected
were Richard L. Bowditch. presi-
dent. c. H. Sprague g. Son Co.,
Boston: Lawrence F. Lee. presi-
dent, Peninsular Life Insurance
Co.. Jacksonville, Fla, and De-
chard A. Hulsey. president, Lone
Star Gas Co., Dallas. Reelected
were Roy C. Ingersoll. president.
Ingersoll Steel Division. Borg
Warner Corp, Chicago; Christo-
pher j. Abbott. livestock producer
and banker of Hyannis, Nebr. and
w. S. Rosecrans. president, w. S.
RoSecranS, Inc, Los Angeles.
These men were elected direc-
tors at large: Col Joseph w.
Evans, Evans & Co, Houston;
William A. Hanley, vice president.
Eli Lilly g. Co., indianapolis;
Leonard w. Trester. public policy
director. General outdoor Adver-
Using Co.. Omaha; Powell c.
Groner, president, Kansas CITY