New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27
Utility of Vast Advertising
Scheme Faces Test
This Week
Ship in Union Square
To Fly Usher S Flag
Labor on 200-Foot Craft Is
Donated by Con-
StructOrS

Thousans of persons during the last
three weeks have watched the great
wooden image of warship rise in
Union Square and have commented on
the great expenditure of money entailed
in the construction at this time of a
ship that will never sail the seas.
The hammers Of scores of carpenters.
pounding on the ribs of this dummy
vessel, have seemed to many to sing q
song of dollars gone to waste In q time
Of critical need. Piles of thousands
of feet of lumber have been translated
in the minds of some into terms of food
and clothing that might spell life to
hundreds OF war sufferers.
Now the ship is nearing completion
and the return to be derived from the
money spent on it will soon be deter
mined. The dividends which the authors
Of the idea expect TO receive on the
capital invested will be in the form of
recruits for the Navy and the Marine
Corps. If the ship brings an increase
in recruiting sufficiently large to reduce
the per capita cost of recruits below
Uncle Sans former figures the project
may be considered success; if it does
not, then the L. S. s. Recruit Chat
being the ships name) will not have
been a good investment.
Estimated Cost, $4,000
The image has been erected under the
direction Of a subcommittee of Mayor
Mtchel's Defence League, of which
Blaine Ewing is chairman. Mr.. Ewing
refuses 10 give out the exact cost, but
unoficially it is declared the eXpendi-
ture will be more than $4,000.
But whatever the actual cost, it is a
fact that the market value of the ma.
terials and labor used in its construc-
ton is from 90 to so per cent more
than the amount of money really ex-
pended. Most of the materials used
were sold to the committee at or below
cost.
~. S. S. Recruit" is 200 feet long
and 40 feet wide. It's main deck is at
least fifteen feet above the ground, and
turrets and masts tower upward almost
az high as real battleship's. Inside
will be recruiting Offices for the Navq
and Marine Corps. large waiting room
for recruits and applicants, shower
baths and toilets.
Above decks the ship will be as near
" as possible a replica of real man
a war. From the navy yard in Brook
lyn tackles have for the last week been
bringing various nautical apparatus.
mystifying to a landlubber, which will
have a place on the vessel. There will
be steering apparatus. pinnacle lights,
signalling paraphernalia, machine guns
and fully equipped bridge. Gun
crews will be on duty to give demon
strations and instructions in the hand
ling of the smaller pieces.
Company Donates Work
The work is being done by the George
a. Fuller Construction Company, which
donated its services and those of its
construction superintendents. Much of
the equipment was donated by various
firms.
There has been a good deal of criti-
cism regarding the amount we are
spending on this ship said Mr.. Ew-
ing yesterday. But we believe every
cent of the cost is justified. The money
for building the Recruit was raised by
subscription. We have paid full price
for nothing. The Fuller Construction
Company is not making nickel out Of
the Job. The lumber was supplied us
at from 90 10 80 per cent. below the
market value; the plumbing, which is
an expensive item, was put in for us
at cost.
"The problem is this: New York City
is woefully behind in providing it's
quota of the men necessary TO bring
the navy 20 the newly authorized
strength Of 10000. We believe the
best way to get the needed men is TO
20 at it on a businesslike basis. IL
pays 20 advertise. and that is what We
are doing. This big ship is acver-
Using propaganda. pure and simple. We
are putting money into it, but We ex-
pect 10 get it out in an increased num-
Der Of recruits.
at should be remembered that the