National Industry Week — Buy Lebanese Products

The invitation extended by the Social Affairs Committee of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) had a positive effect that appeared clearly in the National Industry Week held at West Hall in the American University of Beirut, under the patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic, between April 27 and May 3 last.

This exhibition showed the value of the national industries, which the associations and clubs joined together to encourage in a fitting manner, in keeping with the great meaning embodied in them. The working hand — the national hand — which produced for the world many of the arts, returns once more to good and fruitful work, to enter into the history of civilization some of this production.

The Story of National Industry Week

The story of National Industry Week began at the meeting held by the Social Affairs Committee of the Young Women's Christian Association, to which it invited the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, the Al-Nahda An-Nisaiyah society, the Young Muslim Women, the Lebanese Women's League, the Village Revival Society, the Eagles Club, the Arab Cultural Club, and the commerce students of the American University of Beirut.

This invitation was the opening of an organized effort aiming to encourage industry in a comprehensive campaign from which every good was hoped... a campaign for which all groups bestirred themselves and to whose success all quarters contributed; and thus it was destined to bear fruit, thanks to the many efforts and to sound, organized work.

It was necessary to form special committees, each of which would concern itself with carrying out a particular program. Among these committees was the publicity committee, which took upon itself the responsibility of preparing publicity programs on the radio and in the press. The first and last aim this committee set before the public was confined to promoting national industry and making it known to the people.

Buy Our Products

The committee condensed the motto of the week for the encouragement of national industries (April 27 – May 3) into three words bearing every meaning of esteem and dignity, namely: "Buy the products of Lebanon."

In this phrase are all the qualities of persuasion and encouragement, for it asks the citizens for a positive act by which the soundness of national industry is secured and by which comfort and prosperity are guaranteed.

Everyone showed a firm desire for cooperation and mutual support toward the success of "Industries Week," which revealed to the public the extent of the activity and progress the working hands of Lebanon have achieved. The working committee sensed this desire in the participants in the exhibition, whose number reached about (32).

As for the industrial exhibits, they comprised a varied list of national production: all kinds of foodstuffs and sweets, leather goods, metal goods, textiles and their derivatives, construction and building products, Lebanese oils and their derivatives... and more besides.

It was noticeable that all the exhibits bore a national color marked by precision of production, beauty of construction, and excellence of workmanship.

The industrialists of Lebanon have tried not to let these products lose their special qualities, and have worked to preserve their character as far as possible... In this they were faithful to the motto that appeals to the citizens to buy the products of Lebanon... just as they were faithful to the genuine art within their souls.

The Industrialists' Response

As for the men of industry, they appreciated this blessed step, and appreciated the great effort that was expended for its success and for encouraging it by every means. Mr. Philippe Tamer, president of the Industrialists' Association, delivered a fine speech at the oratorical festival held at West Hall on May 3 last, in which he said: "The Association of Lebanese Industrialists is pleased to take part in making this exhibition a success, within the project of Industrial Week, especially as it is the only industrial exhibition held in Lebanon. It hopes that this good step on the part of the students will be the impelling incentive in their lives, filled with service to national industry and with work to develop its progress.

"We cannot but note here the very great importance exhibitions have in publicizing production and facilitating its circulation, which impels all the great states to hold annual exhibitions in their various regions, encouraging them by every material and administrative means, publicizing them through their representatives abroad, and offering every facility to visitors and foreigners, so that the hoped-for benefit may spread by acquainting the foreign importer and the local consumer with the extent of the development of their production.

"Exhibitions have, besides this, other merits, the chief of which is encouraging the spirit of competition among producers and stirring the desire for excellence, which drives the industrialist to exert his utmost capacities to improve his production in quality and price, so as to compete with the production of others."

Also speaking at this festival was Mrs. Najla Kfoury, president of the Al-Nahda An-Nisaiyah society, which concerns itself with the revival of the handicrafts of the Lebanese countryside and displays their product at "L'Artisan." The government's address was given by Mr. Marwan Nasr — the mainspring of the movement in bringing the various activities of this week into effect.

The Style of Publicity

The style of publicity adopted by the committee had a great effect on the public, for it relied on radio and press as the means of persuasion and inducement. This was besides the visits the committee organized for crowds of ladies to tour the various factories and observe the course of the work and the degree of its perfection, organization, cleanliness, etc.... This publicity met with a response among most of the people who are concerned with this matter. Thus the committee has by its work been faithful to all... faithful to the industrialists, because it appreciated and encouraged their efforts... and to the consumers, because it acquainted them with the products of their country... and to the government, because it placed it face to face with its responsibility.