THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



23o 



Victory Banquet. 



Nineteenth Anniversary Banquet of The Rubber Association of America, Inc. 



SURPASSING any previous function in colorful setting, ex- 

 quisite menu, pertinent addresses and delightful entertain- 

 ment, the banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria on the evening 

 of January 16, 1919, was indeed a triumph. Preceding the dinner 

 the members and guests assembled in the reception rooms with 

 social informality, meeting old acquaintances and making new 

 ones. When the doors of the ballroom were opened eight hun- 

 dred fifty banqueters took their places while the orchestra played 

 popular marches. A handsome program and a small silk Ameri- 

 can flag were presented to each member and guest. 



American flags in artistic profusion decorated the walls and 

 balconies of the ballroom, symbolizing the Army, while the col- 

 umns were draped with American jacks, emblems of the Navy. 

 Prominently displayed over the rostrum was a diadem of flags 

 of the Allies with Old Glory in the center, and below, a silk 

 banner bearing the great seal of the United States, flanked by 

 the coats of arms of the United States, the State, and the city 

 of New York. 



During the dinner patriotic and popular music by the orches- 

 tra gave zest to the excellent menu, and when the last course 

 was finiihed the toastmaster, Bertram G Work, called the meet- 

 ing to order. By this time the balconies were filled with ladies 

 who had been invited to enjoy the speeches and vaudeville enter- 

 tainment that concluded the program. 



-Mter "The Star-Spangled Banner" had been sung in chorus, 

 the toastmaster announced that he had the unexpected pleasure 

 of introducing a man of national reputation who had just arrived 

 from abroad and would say a few words. He proved to be a 

 vaudeville performer with a startling resemblance to President 

 Wilson, and his witty monolog caused much laughter and left 

 the audience in rare good humor. The cabaret vaudeville that 

 followed the speeches was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. 

 PRESIDENT WORK'S REPORT. 

 I will take a few moments for a few words. With a preamble 

 of a year ago I had no nerve and I had a pretty good voice. This 

 year I have got the nerve, but I have lost my voice. 



The activities of our Association during the past year have 

 been vital and continuous. They have made history for the in- 

 dustry, and are written into the annals of the Association. You 

 are all familiar with the details of the year's work, so a review 

 of them this evening is unnecessary. The actual work of your 

 War Service Committee ceased shortly after the signing of the 

 armistice, and this afternoon the committee was officially dis- 

 charged by your board of directors. In behalf of this ex-War 

 Service Committee, I wish to express the warmest thanks and 

 appreciation for the loyal support of the industry which, as is 

 generally known, was given at no inconsiderable sacrifice. I also 

 wish to express my personal appreciation and thanks to all 

 members of the War Service Committee for their loyal support 

 and cooperation. This committee held 57 meetings during the 

 year, and it is a magnificent tribute to the industry that a body 

 of men composed of highly competitive elements at no time al- 

 lowed their individual interests to interfere with the one object 

 for which they were responsible to our country and to the in- 

 dustry. Great credit is due to the chairmen and members of 

 the divisional committees. These men spent nights in travel and 

 days in conference, time after time during the year. They un- 

 selfishly contributed to the cause, and were actuated only by the 

 thought that our industry must do its part in winning the war. 

 The work of the Central Committee was tense, but only for 

 the duration of the war, while the work of the Divisional Com- 

 mittees will live after them, having been transfused into per- 

 manent bodies representative of each branch of the industry. 



WAR INDUSTRIES BOARD APPRECIATES LOYALTY OF THE RUBBER 

 INDUSTRY. 



We hoped to have with us to-night some other members of 

 the War Industries Board, but other engagements made it im- 

 possible. Mr. Baruch writes under date of December 18th : 



War Industries Board, Washington, D. C. 

 My dear Mr. Work: 



I am deeply appreciative of the honor you do me in inviting 

 me to be the guest of The Rubber Association on January 

 16th. I should like to be able to take that opportunity to 

 express in person my appreciation of the loyal cooperation 

 the rubber industry has given the War Industries Board 

 throughout its period of service, but it is impossible for me 

 to make any definite engagements in the near future. With 

 very kind regards. 



Very truly yours, 

 Bernard M. Baruch. Chairman. 

 As we all know, he is now in Paris. We have with us to- 

 night Mr. Baruch's right-hand man, Mr. Peek, but Mr. Peek 

 came on the condition that he would not be asked to speak. 

 So I cannot break the agreement with him. 



Judge Edwin B. Parker writes from Houston, Texas, under 

 date of January 3rd : 



War Industries Board, Washington, D. C. 

 Dear Mr. Work: 



I have delayed until now definitely replying to your very 

 thoughtful invitation of the 16th to attend the Victory 

 Banquet of The Rubber Association to take place in New 

 York on the 16th instant. I very much fear my engagements 

 here are such that it will not be possible for me to accept 

 your mvitation; but if permissible to do so, I will not defi- 

 nitely decline now. If I find that I can be in New York on 

 that date, you may be sure that I will not permit anvthing to 

 prevent being with you. I beg to repeat now what I have had 

 occasion to say before, that you and your Committee repre- 

 sented not only your industry, but our Nation, in dealing with 

 the rubber situation during the war, and there was no industry 

 from which our Board received more wholehearted and ef- 

 fective cooperation than yours. Our association will always 

 bring to me pleasant memories. 



Cordially yours, ■« 



EpviTN B. P.'^RKER, 



Priorities Commissioner. 

 Gentlemen, it is also a matter of great regret that Mr. H. T. 

 Dunn, former chief of the rubber section, cannot be with us 

 to-night. He IS still suffering from an attack of grippe con- 

 tracted while in Washington, and aggravated by continuing his 

 work witli the War Industries Board when he should have been 

 in bed. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Dunn for the 

 able and unselfish manner in which he represented our industry 

 in Washington. ' 



CONSERVATION AND STANDARDIZATION TO CONTINUE. 



The work of conservation, elimination and standardization will 

 be perpetuated by the various divisions of the association. Some 

 were already organized, and others have been organized to take 

 up this work in all matters of divisional interest. The func- 

 tions heretofore exercised by the Conservation Division of the 

 War Industries Board are to be continued by the Department 

 of Commerce under its industrial cooperative service. While the 

 work of the new service will be voluntary so far as the industries 

 are concerned, our work in this direction can be materially aided 

 and broadened by cooperating with the Department of 

 Commerce. 



Secretary Redfield is our honored guest this evening, and has 

 very kmdly agreed to outline to us in a general way the pro- 

 posed work of his department in connection with industries I 

 take great pleasure in introducing the Secretary of Commerce, 

 Wilham C. Redfield. 



SECRETARY REDFIELD'S ADDRESS. 



Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen : 



We have had two very wonderful examples for all the world 

 to see in these recent months; one of them an example of hor- 

 rible selfishness. We saw a great and intelligent people, more 

 devoted to science and research than all other nations, given 

 over to the powers of evil and devoting itself to the exploiting 

 of the world for its own glory and profit. 



I went, two or three years ago— no, it was more than that; 

 it seems so near— it was seven vears ago, I went down the coast 

 of China, looking for an .American business house, and found 



