his credit, his plans to meet the present situation and to prepare for
possible emergencies. "We are not at the wall yet, by any means, Jack,"
he said, his voice ringing out with a resolute courage. "But I am bound
to say that if any sudden or untoward combination of circumstances, a
strike, for instance, should arise, disaster might follow."

Jack's heart sank still lower. He was practically certain that a
strike was imminent. Although without any official confirmation of his
suspicions, he had kept his eyes and ears opened and he was convinced
that trouble was unavoidable. As his father continued to set forth his
plans, his admiration for him grew. He brought to bear upon the problems
with which he was grappling a clear head, wide knowledge and steady
courage. He was a general, planning a campaign in the face of serious
odds. He recalled a saying of his old Commander-in-Chief in France: "War
is a business and will be won by the application of business principles
and business methods. Given a body of fighting men such as I command,
the thing becomes a problem of transportation, organization, reserve,
insurance. War is a business and will be won by fighting men directed or
governed by business principles." He was filled with regret that he had
not given himself more during these last months to the study of these
principles. The prospect of a fight against impending disaster touched
his imagination and stimulated him like a bugle call.

"I see what you want, father," he said. "You want to have some good N.
C. O.'s. The N. C. O. is the backbone of the army," he quoted with a
grin.

"N. C. O?" echoed his father. He was not sufficiently versed in military
affairs to catch the full meaning of the army rag.

"What I mean is," said Jack, "that no matter how able a military
commander is, he must have efficient subordinates to carry on. No
Colonel can do his own company and platoon work."

His father nodded: "You've got it, Jack. I want a manager to whom I can
entrust a policy without ever having to think of it again. I don't want
a man who gets on top of the load, but one who gets under it."

"You want a good adjutant, father, and a sergeant-major."

"I suppose so," said the father, "although your military terms are
a little beyond me. After all, the thing is simple enough. On the
management side, we want increase in production, which means decrease in
production costs, and this means better organization of the work and t