The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-29
AMERICA FAClNc
MIGHTY PROBLEM
Every Resource of Country
Needed to Put and Keep
Army in the Field.
A QUESTION OF SHIPS
United States Must Supply
Facilities to Make War
Machine a Power.

Washington. Dec. 29.--Thc new year
brings the people Of the United States
face to face with a mighty problem,
according to the L. S. public service
reserve in a statment made public to-
day at the department of labor The
country will soon have raised by con-
scription a national army of mill
lion men. This host of soldiers is go
ing to hurl itself at the Prussian mill
tary steam roller. Where?
Three thousand miles away across
an ocean where the Won Tirpitz sharks
are trying awfully hard to bite any
thing that looks like a merchant ship
or a transport. Three thousand miles
away from its base OF supplies-the
longest line of communication that
ever in history ii big army had to keep
in operation. The length of the trip,
plus the quantity of men and material
TO be carried, necessitates a great fleet
Of ships.
Ships Must Back Program.
One million American sodicrs-onr
National army-can go to the battle
front and strike n telling blow for
freedom and democracy provided they
are supported from the Atlantic coast
by 100000 tons of shipping. The YES
sells for this particular purpose do not
exist today. The National army will
be useless without them. Where are
they coming from?
They must come from American
shipyards, during the new year, and it
will take 275,00O mechanics to build
them. According to Il careful estimate
$4,000 of these mechanics have yet to
be found. They must be located in
towns and cities far inland. Then
they must be brought to realize that
the national emergency requires their
labor in the shipyards.
Question Of Labor.
The department of labor and its hu-
operation with the shipping board
have started to search for the missing
workers. A call is made for the pub
lie to appreciate the great need of
these men and that they must be
found.
Previous experience in actually
building ships is not required, but the
man must be qualified in some me-
Chanical trade which can be used in a
shipyard," said VIM. +. Hall, national
director of the reserve today. ANY
man who is a mechanic can find a
place to work in "A shpyard. He can
do more for his country 10y shipwork
than by anything else. The public ear
1oly
roll in the public service reserve o,
the department of labor. whose agents
will soon begin to personally confer
with the mechanics. Everybody cal
help by making known the fact tina
previous shipbuilding experience is nn
necessary, so long as the man is a goot
mechanic and can use the right tools
Local agents of the reserve will b,
glad to explain this fully to any MAI
who is not sure that his ability woule
be suitable for shipbuilding." Coco
wages are offered. according to th,
department Of labor.
Will Enroll Workers.
on the LIST of January the public
service reserve will inauGuratc a cam.
paign to enroll, through local agents !:
great membership first in the follow
ing states: Oregon. Washington
Montana. Idaho. Utah. Wyoming
South Dakota. North Dakota, Colo
RADIO. Minnesota. Nebraska. Iowa. Wis
Consn, Missouri Men who enroll are
not placed under any obligation 10
go where the country most needs them.
when called, unless they want to and
are satisfied with wages ana condi-
tions. The reserve seeks only men
who arc not at present employed in
war industry and particularly wants
to enroll every mechanic who might he
available for shiphullding on the Pa
cific coast.