Following the business tradition established by his grandfather at the time of the American Civil War, his company was the supplier of sixty-nine percent of the arms, ammunition, and munitions being used by the federal government during the Second World War. Secret meetings about this were held on his country estate, "Hartley Farms", at his polo fields which, except for the war years, were also used from 1927 as the site of the exhibition of the Morris and Essex Dog Show held by his wife, Geraldine. During these meetings General Dwight D. Eisenhower and he became close friends.