Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-09
Making of Cannon Shells in
Coffee Roasting Plant Cited
as Example.
W0RKMEN MUST WORK
OR GO ON BATTLE LINE
Kalser's Government Adopted Com.
pulsory Labor Plan at Begin
ming of War.
Copyright, 1918. BY Herbert Corey,

Copyright. 1918. by Herbert Corey)
England seems to be taking a leaf
from Germany's book. Labor is to be
made to do its part in the war if labor
does not do its part without compul-
sion Germany made labor do it's part
from the moment the first gun was
fired. England is to make shells
wherever shells can be made. Germany
did that from the outset A party of
American correspondents made these
discoveries on a tunketing trip to the
cities Of the Hanseatic League. They
learned that German labor is as closely
modified as German fighting men, and
that shells may be made in any sort
of a factory.
1t was at Bremen that We surprised
these business secrets
For one day and one night Bremen's
hospital business men thrummed on
one string.
Are not you surprised they asked,
ito find that business is absolutely
normal?"
We said. politely, that we were sur
prlSed. Business was not normal, of
course. But one doesn't like to shake
the skeleton in the closet of ones host.
Various business men admitted pri-
vately that the war has played the very
dickens with Bremen's business.
Very few ships can run the block
AIDE into the harbor," they said, land,
of course. we haven't built up much of
a manufacturing industry as yet
Hustle Like Americans.
They have been trying hard enough.
Bremen's harbor is Bremerhaven which
is eighteen miles or whereabouts from
the citys center. Her business men are
of the American type. They get there.
They make things Jingle. Therefore
they have been spending millions in
deepening the river, SO that deep
draught ships can come right to the
city. Meanwhile. to have a second
facturers have been encouraged to
come. We were not taken to Bremen
haven for reasons which should be
perfectly obvious. But we were taken
to some Of the factories.
Here" said the owner of coffee
roasting plant, I'VE are doing an even
larger business than we do in peace
Perhaps SO. 1t didn't look it, that's
all. But the visit to the factory was
an intensely interesting one. for all
business secret. Our party had been
split into two parts. We of the second
division were trailing along, trying to
appear thrilled by the processes
through which the coffee beans were
being put. We came to door. Our
guide spoke to a workman:
Did the others go through here" he
asked.
The workman said he didn't know.
Meanwhile two or three of US had inno-
Gently pushed on through the door and
were gaping about. I'VE didn't know
we were in the presence of a secret.
The guide said. feverishly, that this
was the way out, and would we hurry
We obligingly hurried. Then we stopped
short. Right in the middle of this
large, Gathering, crowded room in the
coffee factory we had come upon pile
of flve-inch shells.
Making Shells in Coffee House.
This way" said the guide. anxiously.
Bite"
But we watched until we had con-
WINGED ourselves that our eyes had told
the truth. There were pile after pile
of duly cleaning shells stacked on
that coffee factory floor. Men were
CARRYING them, one at time, Tor
flve-inch shell is heavy, to strong taoies
at which other men were at WORK
These other men were painting the IN
sides of the shells with a dark-brown
mixture which was to keep them from
corroding.
What are these things?' we asked
stupidity of our guide.
Mods" he said. after suspicious
look at us. He doesn't know yet
whether we believed or not. The obi
cations of hospitality kept him from
using hook on us. But he certainly
did take us the next quarter at fast
pace. We came to yard. The guide
turned east. We wandered west. where
we saw the fires of a forge cleaning
in the interior of a dark shop There
were wheels turning inside, and we
heard a grinding sound.
You mustn't go in there, said our
breathless guide.
But we were already there. Piles of
rough shells. black and dirty as they
come from the casting pits, were piled
up here. Men were at work with
lathes turning them to fit the guns. 1t
was very interesting. We had never
been permitted to see shell in the
making before We didn't know that
we should ever be permitted again. On
our tour to be convinced that business
in Bremen is quite normal, We came TO
a great factory for the making of au-
tomobiles.
Workn,en Are Scarce