The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-01
TO CREATE SHIPeDUILDING RE.
SERVE.
sumter Men Will Enroll to Help In
the Building Of Ships IL Called Oh
by the Authorities.

Il
SHIPS were the most urgent need OF
me allies and the United States as set
forth by Lloyd-George, the brilliant
commoner so ably guiding the Englisl,
administration. B. F. Mcleod OF
charleston amplified and explained
this statement last night when he ad-
dressed meeting Of Sumter men at
the Chamber Of Commerce.
The government of the United States
mas called on the Chamber of Com
merce Of the United States to aid in
finding men for the work of turning
out shipping tonnage to the extent Of
nve or more times more than this
country has ever built before. The
oody appealed to Immediately set to
work to comply. r. Goodwin Rhett
OF Charleston. the president, called on
eleven men in different parts of the
Union to take up this work. They
are doing it without compensation and
at their own expense; Mr.. Mcleod is
touring South Carolina. Georgia, and
Florida explaining this undertaking.
the unlimited resources of this
country cannot help to win the war
unless they can be placed where they
are needed. The men of France. worn
to frazzle trying to save their land
and their women from untold hor
rors can not hold out unless food and
supplies can be taken to them. The
men OF South Carolina and of the
other States Of the Union now at the
front and those yet to go must be sup
pied with all they need-otherwise
we at home are contributing to their
murder. The German submarine
creeping like shark beneath the sur
face Of the water where he cannot be
seen is destroying shipping at the rate
OF 100000 tons a month. America
must build ships as fast.
There are more ship yards now at
work than ever before, and more ar.
to be put in operation. Ten times as
many men will be needed to work in
these plants as are now at the plants.
These mem must come from every
where. 1t is the wish of the authori-
ties that labor conditions be not dis
turbed anywhere by drawing from any
one point SO many men that it will
hurt that place. If ten plumbers are
needed. say. at Charleston it would not
do to take all the plumbers from
Sumter or from Georgetown. but one
from each Of these places, and one
'stofk Aeaeh OF eight other places in
the State would be all right. It is to
list and to card index all the men who
will be willing to go If called upon
that the local committees are asked to
undertake. and no one refused.
The committees appointed by Chair
man Phelps are H. r. VanDeventer,
chairman Of the central committee; n.
A.. Moses. chairman of the publicity
committee. and E. L. Witherspoon,
chairman of the labor committee.
These with j. M. Hardy and T. H. Sid
dali compose the central committee.
The other members Of the Publicity
Committee are H. G. Osteen and F. D.
knight, and the other members of the
Labor Committee are w. F. Carr and
Danny McKiever. An immediate or
der for enrolment cards was placed
and Mr.. Mcleod instructed Secretary
Reardon to write to the Ship Building
Committee for 200 ship builders re-
serve buttons. AS every man signs
up to 60 to this work if called upon
he Is given the button to wear.
The committees will go Immediate
ly to work to explain to all carpen-
ters, plumbers. mechanics and painters
the plan of voluntary enrolment for
future calls. No employer should be
antagonistic to this work. for it is to
put into operation a plan whereby
only 9 small proportion Of his men
would be taken-if any at all-in-
stead OF. perhaps, many of them get
ting the moving fever all at one time
and leaving him in bunch. The
men should like 1t because they will
be performing just as patriotic a duty
as If they were enlisting for the front
| and yet they will be doing congenial
work that is giving them new ex-
perience. All who desire will please
give their names and addresses to any
member of any committee; it will be
impossible to find everyone.
| At the close of the meeting Mr.. J
Lem King volunteered his services
whenever needed as he had had two
years experience in shipbuildinE