Address of Col. E.G. Buckner, vice-president in charge of military sales, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., on the relations of Du Pont American industries to the war

fiift *f the Prwfcidont ft I ADDRESS OF COL. E. G. BUCKNER Vice-President in Charge of Military Sales E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. ON THE RELATIONS OF DU PONT AMERICAN INDUSTRIES TO THE WAR Du Pont American Industries General Sales Convention Atlantic City, New Jersey June 19, 1918 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/addressofcolegbuOObuck THE RELATIONS OF DU PONT AMERICAN INDUSTRIES TO THE WAR T J- he Chairman of the Committee on Arrange- ments, in the invitation extended to me to address this Body, said: "You gentlemen, as representa- tives of Du Pont Company, are met everywhere by misunderstandings of our Company's usefulness and motives. Many of you," he said, "are not quite clear whether you should be proud of the Company or ashamed of it." I must confess I was surprised to learn that any man who is so fortunate as to be a Du Pont man could be in doubt. It is true that during the 116 years of its existence the Company has been, as all other companies of its importance and size will be, slandered and lied about. Periodically, a newspaper or magazine writer, or some Congressman, who wants to get himself into the limelight, will frame up some false charge and hurl it at Du Pont. As a matter of comfort to — t- 4 +~ you, try and recall these instances and the names of the men who made these charges. You will find their names are forgotten, but the Du Pont Com- pany lives on, growing bigger and bigger and grander and grander with each day of its existence. Ashamed of Du Pont? NO! And so long as Pierre S. du Pont is at its head and has the power to shape its policies, you shall never have reason to be. I know you have been met with the charge that the Company has made too much money, but I believe when I tell you the true story of this money - making you will not think it questionable—on the contrary one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of the commercial world. It's a story of money made absolutely from the benefits of high efficiency, and not from arbitrary and despotic rais- ing of prices due to shortage of supply and sudden great demand. In this instance the demand certainly was great and the source of supply, compared to the need, was nothing. Time has demonstrated the demand of us was 440,000,000 pounds a year and our total capacity at the time this story begins was just 12,000,000 pounds per year. I am going to show you how Du Pont mastered this situation — never missed a trick — never disappointed a customer — H-51- was always there with the goods, and we have been credited with saving the British Empire. When this awful war first started in Europe, and we were asked to quote terms on which we would help in furnishing powder and other war materials, it was a mixed question what the Com- pany could safely undertake. We could then only make about one million pounds a month, and it was not settled what this Nation's policy was to be concerning the shipment of war materials. The cost of labor and the attitude of labor towards the supplying of munitions to the Allies was unsettled. We had in this country a large element strongly in sympathy with Germany, which created a great hazard, and who among us had a thought the war would last six months! Because of these uncertainties, the risks in- volved in purchasing and accumulating raw mate- rials at high prices and spending large sums of money constructing for such demands, were great. The Allies' demand was principally for small granulations and small arms powder, including 3" Field Gun Powder, for which our pre-war price had been 80 cents per pound. It is generally be- lieved that we had been selling this powder for 53 cents, but the fact is we had only sold at that price —h 6 •»— the larger granulations, such as 6", 8", 10" and 12" powders — so when we fixed the price of $1.00 we were only advancing our price 20 cents per pound. When you consider the uncertainty of what Congress might do — the attitude of labor — the possibilities of great advances in raw materials, the great hazard of German sympathizers, who it was believed would stop at nothing to prevent help reaching the Allies — you cannot but admit it was a modest increase. It was a foreign war. Since then, due to the dishonorable, brutal and devilish conduct of the German government, we have been forced into the fight, but at the time we were quoting prices and terms to the Allies President Wilson was contend - ing that it was not our fight, that we had nothing at stake; neither had anything been done against our interest or our honor, and that we should remain neutral. It was only natural this Company should take its cue from the note preached by President Wilson, which was so popular throughout the whole country as to elect him to a second term as Presi- dent. When you hear unfavorable criticisms of Du Pont by people to-day against our success made in 1914, 1915 and 1916, you may rest assured it is made in ignorance, without intelligent thought, and is absolutely unjust. They are judging us by to-day's standard, which is righteously opposed to profiteering and excessive money -making out of the war, and not by the standard which ruled at that time, and which ruled the majority of this country when they cast their votes in approval of President Wilson and his policies, re-elected him President because he had kept us out of the war. The Allied Governments' representatives who first appealed to us for explosives, when they had agreed to accept our price of $1.00, wanted us to allow them to secure us by depositing in banks, named by them, 25% of the face value of the con- tract, which 25% was to be deducted from the lots of powder as delivered by us. Our demand was a cash payment of 50% to be made to us without any conditions or restrictions attached — and the bal- ance was to be paid as each lot was delivered. Our demand was finally accepted and agreed to. It must be apparent to everyone what a differ- ent story would have been written, and how changed would have been the results, if we had been in- fluenced by them and had conceded their conten- -*. 8 ■*- tion — how little of the great work we have done in preparing for this war would have been accom- plished if we had accepted their proposal and worked on the terms suggested and insisted on by them. I have been told time and again by those interested that this seemed at the moment a most unjust and severe demand, but time had demon- strated it beyond question to be the wisest and most beneficial act of all things that had been done for the Allies. To it alone is due the credit of the great extent of the work completed. It put the Du Pont Company, the greatest of all organizations in America, in a position, both in funds and con- fidence, which eliminated all fear of loss or doubt as to the successful completion of the contracts by both parties, to such a degree, that all limits were off and we were ready to accept any proposition involving any amount, which contained these terms. Contracts followed and were accepted so fast we were forced to start a new plant nearly every day. In this connection I cannot say too much of the wonderful spirit that was shown by the em- ployees of the Du Pont Company. I don't believe in the whole history of the world a more perfect piece of united effort was ever displayed. Every man gave all that was in him. It was perfect team- — i- 9 — work. There was no working at cross purposes — no jealousy — every man seemed ready and willing to make every personal sacrifice asked of him and to do his part, whatever that might be, to put the job across. Think of it! The Du Pont Company, with its great financial strength, backed by the con - fidence created by the 50% cash advance payment on the face value of each contract, coupled with an army of employees filled with a wonderful spirit of loyalty, both to the Du Pont Company and the Nation, and back of it all a thorough knowl- edge of HOW TO DO IT. Are you surprised that they have not yet faced the word "failure," but have achieved victory in every undertaking? There have been many instances of a similar nature, but I wish you could have been with me on two separate occasions and heard two men tes- tify to the benefits the Allies have received by rea - son of our service for them. The first witness was J. P. Morgan. He called me into his office one day and said he wanted to tell me of an incident that had been related to him. He said he had met Mr. DeLancy Nichols the night before. Mr. Nichols was telling of a recent visit to London. The night he left London he had dined -H 10 +- with Lord Moulton, who was head of the British Munitions Board, and some others, and Lord Moul - ton had made the statement that only because of the great work done by Morgan & Company in the purchasing of munitions, the Du Pont Company in supplying powder and Bethlehem Steel Company in supplying guns and shells, were the British and French armies able to hold their own during 1915. The other incident was one day lately when I was paying a visit to Colonel McRoberts, of the Ordnance Department, U. S. A. He introduced me to General Hedlam, of the British Army. On being introduced, the General recognized me in a polite and agreeable way and continued his conversation with Colonel McRoberts. Colonel McRoberts, how- ever, went on to explain to him that I was Vice- President of the Du Pont Company and was the one, who, through that Company, had done so much for the Allies in furnishing them explosives. A surprised look came over his face. He wheeled around, facing me, and asked: "What is your name?" I told him. He thrust out his hand, saying to me: "Please let me shake your hand again, Sir, and permit me to say to you that the Du Pont Com- pany is entitled to the credit of saving the British Empire!" When Mr. Haskell informed the British Ministry in reply to their inquiry as to what terms we would make to that Government for our aid in helping them to build the Henbury powder plant by furnishing them with knowledge of how to do it, the lay-out, the plans, drawings of all the machinery, and capable men to lead in the work — that our Company had determined to do this for them without profit — Lord Moulton replied: "Mr. Haskell, is it possible your Company agrees to do all of this for our country without charge? I am not," he said, "a sentimental man" — lawyers rarely are — "but this act is so magnificent I cannot express my feelings to you. In my judgment it is without parallel. Our nations have always known each other as cousins, and when we joined in this war we became partners ; but such acts as this con - vince me that we are now brothers." The British Ministry of Munitions of War, of London, under date of May 1, 1917, wrote Mr. Pierre S. du Pont expressing the appreciation and gratitude of the British Government for our in- valuable assistance in furnishing, without charge, plans, information and the services of some of our important men in connection with the erection of the Henbury factory for the manufacture of Nitrocellulose Powder. The closing paragraph of "H* 12 this letter voices the feeling of the British Min- istry of Munitions toward our Company, to wit: "Will you please accept the best thanks of my colleagues and myself both to you personally and to your Com- pany for the friendly and generous manner in which you met our request for assistance, and allow me to record the British Government's sense of obli- gation to your Company for these and the other magnificent services it has rendered to the Allied Cause. Sincerely yours, (Signed) Christopher Addison." • I am proud to admit we have made millions of dollars. If we had lost millions our critics of to- day, who condemn us, would laugh and call us idiots and fools, and the Kaiser would have the laugh on this Government because it was not pre- pared with powder. I repeat, I am proud we have made millions of dollars, but it has not been because the Company has practiced extortion on its customers — either the foreign buyer or our people here at home. As an example of the spirit which has con- trolled the Du Pont Company in its policy of price, I wish to say: We have never raised our price to a -H 13 H- single one of our regular customers here in the United States; Bethlehem, Remington, United States, Western, Winchester, Peters, and all other home military concerns have been charged through- out the period of the war our regular pre-war prices and have also been given the benefit of every reduction. Your Company, early in the war and before the United States Government entered the conflict, decided upon the policy of protecting our Govern- ment against any increase in the cost of powder to them if it was in our power, and throughout 1914, 1915 and 1916, when the price ranged $1.00, 90 cents and 80 cents to foreign govern- ments we furnished the United States Army and Navy all their requirements, aggregating 10,690,- 000 pounds of smokeless powder at 50 and 53 cents per pound. I doubt if a similar treatment is equaled by any concern in existence. Please bear in mind that when in the beginning we fixed the price at one dollar, we had to consider the fact that the first contract of necessity should include the cost of building and equipping the plant. We believed then it would require 10 cents per pound to cover construction cost. — H 14 **~ We had not gone far towards this construction before we realized that building material, steel, lumber, coal, nails and all kinds of machinery, as well as labor, had increased in price so rapidly that 18 cents was required to cover it, and by the time we had finished the enormous construction amount- ing to between seventy and eighty million dollars, this cost had reached 30 cents per pound. Now, please follow me closely while we con- sider the increased price of other commodities, be- cause it better illustrates the fairness of Du Pont than any other argument we can make. Our pre-war price (as I have already ex- plained) was 80 cents for powders up to 3". We built new plants and sold the product at $1.00. And remember that from the moment the great war demand was created every kind of material began to increase in price rapidly, steel, coal, cotton, alcohol, lumber, nitrates. You may go over the entire list of our markets and you will find every- thing on the list from one to two hundred per cent, higher than what one could have bought them for at pre-war times, and these high prices still remain in force. Powder we started at one dollar per pound, but it has been reduced persistently when- ever we could effect a saving in the cost of produc- -+ 15 tion. As an example, I give a table showing the dates of reductions in our price: Oct. 1914 the price was $1.00 per pound May 1915 the price was .971/2 Per pound Oct. 1915 the price was .90 per pound Nov. 1915 the price was .80 per pound July 1916 the price was .60 per pound Sept. 1916 the price was .47% per pound Dec. 1916 the price was .60 per pound Apr. 1917 the price was .47% per pound Sept. 1917 the price was .49% Per pound Please note we reduced the price three times in 1915 and two times in 1916. Prices of everything used in the fabrication of powder were increasing every day and one wonders how the price of pow- der could be constantly reduced. Therein lies the proof of the wonderful effi- ciency of the Du Pont Company and its fair deal- ings with its customers. Invention after invention, economy after econ- omy, was developed for savings which more than kept pace with the rapid increase of raw material and labor. The Company might have reasoned that be- cause of the increase of raw materials we should — H 16 H- add a corresponding amount to our price and reap the benefit of our efficiency ourselves. It was not costing the steel producers 100 % more to produce a ton of steel, but the supply and demand enabled them to charge more, and they did so. It did not cost one and two hundred per cent, more to produce all the other articles for sale in the market, but the demand was so great and the articles so scarce and difficult to obtain that it was possible to get the price, and few hesitated to take advantage of the situation. An example is shown in what is commonly called T. N. T. The pre-war price of T. N. T. was 29 cents per pound. Toluol, the principal mate- rial from which trinitrotoluol is made, was pro- duced by others than the Du Pont Company — in fact, we did not produce any of it, hence we could not control the price. We and the buyers were at the mercy of the toluol producers. I have known of T. N. T. selling at $1.50 per pound. Our price never exceeded $1.00, which is a remarkably low price when it is remembered that toluol sold as high as $7.00 per gallon when the pre-war price was only 19 cents per gallon. We adopted the policy not to sell at a greater price than $1.00, and refused to buy toluol at a figure that would not — t- 17 — enable us to nitrate it and sell the finished product, with a profit, at $1.00. In making prices of T. N. T. we were governed by the same principle as when making powder prices, giving the benefit of reduc- tions in cost of manufacture to the buyer. Our price on T. N. T. has been reduced from time to time until now we sell at 35 cents per pound as against $1.00 in the beginning, which is nearly as low as the pre-war price of 29 cents. When in February, 1916, the President of the United States sent the German Ambassador out of this country, Du Pont with its usual vision into the future possible needs of its business, realized the necessity of more powder production, at once sent men over ten States seeking out possible sites for additional powder plants; it also commenced at once to lay out and plan for additional construc- tion, so in April, when President Wilson declared Germany was in a state of war with the United States, Du Pont was ready with locations, layouts and plans well under way. We at once sought op- portunity and pointed out to the powers at Wash- ington the need for additional sources of supply and the wisdom of prompt action. The plants Du Pont had built and was then operating, had been erected solely to supply the Allies, and if the United -H 18 •»- States was coming into the fight and proposed to equip one to two million men, it was beyond ques- tion needful that the United States at once provide additional capacity as a source of supply for its army. It was not until October, 1917, that we suc- ceeded in influencing Washington to act, but delays caused by indecision and too many fingers in the pie prevented us from beginning this work until March, 1918, at which time we began the construc- tion of a large Smokeless Powder plant at Nash- ville, Tennessee. Since then we have made won- derful progress. I believe when this plant is completed and its history is written it will be the most wonderful achievement ever performed in the history of pow- der building. It will involve the expenditure of 70 to 80 million dollars and will produce approximately one million pounds of powder daily. This plant is being built in nine units — each one complete in itself. One of these units is approximately eight times the size of the largest smokeless powder plant in the United States prior to 1914. The entire plant is 70 times as large as the largest plant before the war. It covers an area -i- 19 one and one -half miles wide by three miles long. To operate it at capacity will require 1,500,000 pounds of nitrate of soda per day — 675,000 pounds of sulphur per day. It will consume 4,500 tons of coal for each 24 hours, which is equivalent to 100 carloads, or two trainloads. It will require 100,000,000 gallons of water per 24 hours, or as much water as is used by a city having a popula- tion of one million people. The central power plant will contain 68 boilers, each with a rating of 825 horsepower. It will be the largest smokeless pow- der plant in the world and the last word in powder making. It will require 20 to 25 thousand men ten to twelve months to complete it, and your Com - pany has agreed to give its 116 years of accumu- lated knowledge and do this enormous construction at actual cost and without profit. In April, 1917, the Chief of Ordnance invited Du Pont and all other powder makers to meet him in his office in Washington. At this meeting we were informed that the Army and Navy jointly were in need of, as quickly as possible 115 million pounds of powder. Each of the powder makers present was asked how much of the 115 million pounds he could make within the calendar year 1917. Du Pont's -H 20 answer was: "All of it." We were all then asked at what price we could supply this powder. Du Pont's answer was 47^ cents for all granulations above small arms and 62 cents for small arms pow- der. None of the others were as low, and their prices for the larger granulations ranged up to 58 cents against our 47l/2 cents, and I am creditably informed that some of these bidders succeeded in convincing the Government that they were unable to duplicate our cost, and the Government, because of its great need, consented to and did pay them for their product a greater price than they paid us. I want to direct your attention to this point: When I had last discussed the subject of mak- ing powder for the United States Government, back in 1913, Congress had by legislation fixed the price to be paid to manufacturers by the Army and Navy at 53 cents for large granulations. At that time Du Pont could only manufacture one million pounds per month — 12 million pounds per year. Two and a half years later we were at war with a nation which had spent day and night for 40 years preparing for this day, and our Government needed quickly 115 million pounds. Since 1914 raw materials for the manufacture of one pound of powder had increased 18 cents. The Govern- -+ 21 +- ment's plants were not able at that time to produce powder for 53 cents. To sum up: 115 million pounds wanted; Du Pont the only source; a statute fixing the price at 53 cents; raw materials increased 18 cents. Make a mental calculation of these facts and the situa- tion which confronted us and tell me if your Com- pany did not act in a way to make all of you proud! Under the same influence, steel, coal, cotton, lumber, wheat, alcohol, gasoline — everything has increased 100 to 150 per cent, over pre-war prices. But when Du Pont confronted the fact that its services were needed to help fight this war, our price did not go up, but at once went down to 47% cents. When I met the Secretary of the Navy later, and informed him of what we had done, he slapped me on my knee and exclaimed: "Fine! Fine! I wish other manufacturers had some of the same spirit." Du Pont Company enjoys the unique position of being the only concern in the United States which is to-day selling its product at less than pre- war prices. Had we consented to sell at any price we could get, powder, like coal, steel, lumber, alcohol, copper and cotton, would have advanced to exorbitant prices and the Government would -t- 22 h- have had to fix the price as it has done in other cases, but none of you has ever heard of the Gov- ernment fixing a price on powder since 1913. Du Pont, as fast as it could do so, has of its own voli- tion, reduced the price. The relation of the Du Pont American Indus- tries to the war is so great that one hardly knows how to draw a picture that will convey the whole truth to your mind. Of course, our greatest direct relation is our ability to serve the fighting forces in the supply of explosives and propellant powders. Perhaps the thought is an old story to you, but the force Du Pont has created for use in this war is not equaled by any other organization on earth. The iron mines come to Du Pont for the force produced by our dynamite to tear from the bowels of the earth the ore with which to build ships — to make the rails for our railroads — the steel to make the locomotive to operate the railroads — the cars to transport the raw materials for all of our indus- tries. It furnishes the force to produce the metal for the monster guns now on the battle front, as well as the propellant to carry the shell loaded with our high explosive into the heart of the Ger- man Beast. With our explosives the force is pro- duced to blast coal that is, in turn, producing all — h 23 n — the heat, light and power needful in all the great preparation and conduct of this war. Agricultural dynamite to help Mother Earth that she may produce two blades of grass where only one struggled for existence before. Who can over-estimate the value of this aid to all engaged in this war, especially now, when Mr. Hoover has forced upon the Nation the wheatless days that we may conserve food and help feed our friends "Over There." We are even extending help to the boy in the flying machine. The fusilage of his flyer is covered with fabric supplied by Du Pont. Its wings, as well as all the woodwork, are covered with paint or varnish produced by us. We are loading his bombs with a special explosive developed by us; and our Improved Military Powder is the propel - lant which we are loading into a special cartridge for him to use in his machine gun — and may God direct each bullet to the right spot. The individual fighter in the trenches has his body and face pro- tected from the enemy's gases by Du Pont prod- ucts, and he looks at the enemy through eyepieces made of Py-ra-lin, and, of course, carries a full equipment of powder and hand grenades made by us. 24 +~ Let me catalogue some of the acts of Du Pont which may be classified as "Financial Patriotism" and were of great service to all the Allies, includ- ing the United States: In 1915 the British Government advised us that the cost of exchange due to war conditions made it very difficult for them to pay their bills for powder as promised. Du Pont promptly accepted the British one -year notes for $46,700,- 000, and carried them, by partial renewals, until it was convenient for their liquidation. At about the same time we extended similar credit to the French Government for $9,200,000. When England and France first appealed to the United States to aid them financially and asked for a loan of five hundred million dollars, Du Pont subscribed for Anglo-French bonds to the amount of $36,350,000, and purchased other obligations of the Allied Governments in the market to the amount of $19,350,000. Total amount of securi- ties purchased of the Allied Governments, $111,- 600,000. In each of the Liberty Loan campaigns Du Pont has added greatly to the success of the effort by the prompt help and encouragement it has given by subscribing: 1st Liberty Loan, $7,525,000; 2d Liberty Loan, $51,000,000 ; 3d Liberty Loan, $22,250,000. In addition to Liberty Bond sub- scriptions, Temporary Certificates of the United States Government have been purchased to the amount of $54,575,000; total United States Gov- ernment securities subscribed for, $135,350,000. The following are some of the ways Du Pont has rallied to the support of the humane side: 1st Red Cross campaign (1% dividend), $600,000; 2d Red Cross campaign (2% dividend), $1,200,- 000; Y. M. C. A. contribution, $250,000; total, $2,050,000. Never a word of complaint against the heavy and increasing rate of taxation. The Company has recognized the necessity and was glad to do its part. Income tax paid in 1916, $15,625,000; income tax paid in 1917, $20,997,000; total Federal taxes, $36,622,000. Since the European war began in August, 1914, we have sold to our foreign Allies and the United States Government something more than one billion five hundred million pounds of explosives. This includes: Guncotton, Smokeless Powder, T. N. T., T. N. X., Picric Acid, Ammonium Picrate, Black Powder, Dynamite, Ammonium Nitrate, Tetryl; and also sold 125,000,000 rounds of spe- —I- 26 **~~ cial ammunition for aeroplanes; 50,000,000 caps; and 206,000,000 Black Powder Pellets for load- ing in shells. We have contracted to load shells, detonators, primers, boosters and adapters to the number of ninety million. We have contracted to build: A large Smoke- less Powder plant at Nashville, Tennessee; a plant for loading shells and boosters at Penniman, Vir- ginia; a plant to make T. N. X. (Trinitroxylol) for the Navy at Barksdale, Wisconsin; additional Acid plants and a nitrating plant for the Navy at Indian Head, Maryland. We have also furnished the Government with a layout and all drawings for the Smokeless Pow- der plant which the Army is building at Charles- ton, West Virginia, and have agreed to operate two large plants for loading Smokeless Powder charges into bags. The Du Pont organization has furnished in man power, by enlistment and draft, 4,168 men. This amounts to a complete regiment of 3,600 men and 586 extra, enough more to replace all casual- ties for three months' average active fighting. The total value of all our contracts for mili- tary business to date is: One billion eleven mil- lion dollars ($1,011,000,000). Compared with — i- 27 the year in which the Company did the largest amount of business prior to the war, when our total sales of all commodities aggregated a little over thirty -six million dollars, this represents nearly 26 years' business. Compared with Military Business only, our largest year before the war was three million six hundred thousand dollars — and this total of Mili- tary Business during the period of the war, there- fore, represents 276 years' business. And only a few years ago a six or seven -page illustrated article appeared in Harper's Weekly which undertook to show the Du Pont Company to be Traitors — a handy bunch of traitors to have around, don't you think? And doesn't it make you feel "chesty" to realize that you are a part of a concern that can appropriate millions of dollars for good purposes without batting an eyelash? When I think of the great number of promises I have made for the Du Pont Company in the past four years and realize how every one of them has been fulfilled— and think how many disappoint- ments there have been in every other line of trade — I AM PROUD I AM A DU PONT MAN. It's an endless story — one can never finish. If you could stand with me day after day and listen -c 28 n- to the appeals from every department of the Gov- eminent asking for the aid of the Du Pont Organi- zation—the impression has gone abroad that there is no limit to the ability of this wonderful bunch of workers. If nobody else can do it— get du pont. They come to me and will say, "We know it's not really in your line, but you people DO things when you go at them, and this thing is so important we must have it and we are afraid to trust it to any other." Great God!! And some of you are in doubt, some of you have lost sight of all these Great, Big, Magnificent things your Company is doing for our country and the world — and can only hear the noise of some measly little fice barking at your heels. Stamp the life out of the brute, hold your head erect, expand your chest and be proud that you belong to an organization that the world knows can do things! I am at last convinced that the whole United States is getting together on the question of this war. In the beginning we believed we would only have to furnish the money, food and war mate- rials and that England, France, Russia and Italy would do the rest. But the horrors perpetrated by the unrighteous, -I- 29 h- devilish Huns against freedom and civilization made it impossible for a nation of men with red blood in their veins to remain outside any longer. I, for one, am ashamed of our conduct for remain- ing out as long as we did, but God in His mercy will forgive us this shortcoming if we will only pitch in now and do our full duty, as I believe we are now really preparing to do. I want to see the Du Pont Organization to a man get right behind President Wilson and bend every energy to the end of winning this war. We are doing a mighty work towards bringing about victory, but let's to-day resolve to do more. Six months ago we seemed to be planning for supplies for one and a half million of men, but to- day it seems to be the program for three to five million of men. If that is so, think what has of necessity been cut out for Du Pont to do. It is a frightful task to contemplate, but if it must be done, let's be the men to do it. Let's stand eye to eye, shoulder to shoulder, hearts afire with enthusiasm, giving everything in us. I have been much encouraged of late Xo see the wonderful progress that is crowning the efforts of those responsible for the Herculean task of equipping this Nation for fight. I confess that for -H- 30 H- a long time I was too impatient and expected too much, and I fear I was not always just in my criti- cism of what was doing; but, thank God, I can now see on every hand, in every section of the country, feverish activities and wonderful progress, and I predict in another four to six months the fighting stuff this country will turn out daily will amaze the whole world, including "Kaiser Bill" and his mur- derous devils. I have diverged a bit from my subject, but I have done so in order to point out to you the duty that is ahead of Du Pont. Up to this time Du Pont has plumed itself much over the fact that it has been in the lead in all matters of preparedness, but as I look about me and see the rapidity with which other lines of necessities are forging to the front, I wonder where we will stand later. But whatever that may be, when the glorious dawn of victory comes and the true story of the war is told, it will be found that Du Pont Products and Du Pont men have done their share, and done it efficiently, completely and gloriously*