The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-11-14

of creating q merchant marine in pro-
portion to the cOuntry's commercial Importance
came up, the question raised: How are we
going to get men for American ships?
Young Americans had got out Of the way OF sea-
going. The country did not think in terms of
ships Foreign seamen chiefly manned what yes
sells had. Our shipyards could not compete
with foreign yards
The war has changed all that. The change has
been little short Of magical The United States Of
America now leads the world In shipbuilding. 1t
will Lead the world with Its seagoing citisens.
Thousands Of young Americans are turning to the
80 every month. The old era Of the sQuare-rts-
gers, to which friends Of the American merchant
marine fondly refer, 70 rapidly being dwarfed by
what II taking place in our merchant marine today
AZ an example Of the extraordinary change going
on in the matter Of crews. may be cited phe-
nomenai jump in September recruiting for the
merchant marine reported BY the United States
shipping board from Washington In the following
Uulletin
An Increase of ~ Per cent In . month"; In the
number Of recruits for the merchant marine signsd
ON the United States shipping board, was rsportsd
by the board The figures covering four weeks end
s E men y "a ~u:. :. n
A01: September u A1sA Ths nsurss for the latter
announced a. an s.psctsd maximum for the month
Of ssptsnbsr The msa are aeesoesd foe training
srd:. ana viii b put aboard aainins shps At Bos-
ton. New 1orh. hs.ss,.. New Orleans. Ban Fran
Every little while 0ne hears somebody ask'
what IL this merchant marine ws hear 20 much
aboutr
Nobody need feel ashamed II he does mot readily
visualize this new commercial maritime force of
the country The nation for many years past has
been building up such an admirable navy tnat
many psople confuse the merchant marine with
the navy thinking that all ships are under naval
eontrOl.
The merchant marine IL quite distinct from the
navy II Is. Indeed. navy in itseaf-a commercial
Ia ksS~lA
The United States shipping board has charge Of 1t.
and II 10 run a. q national business organization,
much the same the nations great railroads are
run by the railroad administration.
The shipping board consists Of I'VE members,
nen Of high training in business afairs, appointed
from various parts Of the country. Its chairman
Is Edward ". Hurley Of Chicago. Its headquarters
are in Il business building in Washington
Control is exercised by this board over every
merchant ship of more than 500 tons sailing
der the American nag. The vast shipbulding pro-
gram of the country-resulting In the bridge of
ships to Europe" which enables rs to send mill
lions of men the fighting front and sustain them
there-Is in the hands of the shipping board. The
shipbuildlng il done by the Emergency Fleet cor
poration. operated by the board. and directed BY
| Charles NJ Schwab. master mind in the steel
| world and known from coast to coast business
| genius of the first order.
| .Ore.
American daring and seagOing ability are taking
| our merchant ships safely across the and
| back again with shuttlelke regularity.
| All this Is being done by volunteers. who take
| up the work because they recognize the greatness
| of the opportunity to help their country In a
| epoch of expansion
| The mariner in the merchant marine Is not an
| enlisted man. A scratch OF the pen Ii Ill that
binds him to his Job yet he 10 as firmly fixed in
| ii as II he were there BY the operation Of the
aelective service law.
Every man working for the new merchant ma
| rine knows that his II not merely . war job i'm
| portant though his work may he az part Of his
| eountrys mighty stroke for freedom. The job
| win last after the return OF peace. 1t becomes.
therefore. doubly important.
0hip manning on much greater scale than that
4 tAe present will begin when the war ends. for
a that time many merchant ships temporarily