By Robbie Thompson
Today’s steel market can be difficult to navigate. However, I cannot imagine what it must have been like in 1918.
I was digging thru some old Conklin paperwork, and came across this tattered document that had gotten stuck to an old stock certificate from 1919. It was a “Special Notice” explaining that Conklin’s customers would only be able to buy steel for “essential uses”. This, of course, was due to the heavy demand for steel during the World War I. Yes, the FIRST World War!
It read, “ On account of the enormous demand for steel, greatly in excess of the supply, our government has found it necessary during the prosecution of our war against Germany to take control over the entire steel supply of the United States and same is being controlled by Director of Steel Supply and the War Industries Board. We have pledged our full support and cooperation to the government and properly conserving steel on steel products and distributing same only for essential uses as that term may be defined from time to time by the Priorities Division of the War Industries Board.”
I really wish I had the rest of the document! It is worth noting that the war industries Board was established to coordinate the purchase of supplies between the army and the Navy. Keep in mind that this was 30 years before the US Department of defense even existed.