The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-12
NEED OF THE HOUR


submarine warfare of the German enemy
Three eight hour shifts must be used in
every one of the TIC ship ways now devoted
to government shipbuilding, and over one
billion dollars has been appropriated for
the work.
Charles Piez, manager of the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation, has sent out from
Washington headquarters an urgent appeal
TO every state council every navy league
chapter, to Immediately launch a campaign
for ship building volunteers.
Submarines or no submarines, the
United States will continue fearlessly to
send troops to France. Secretary of the
Navy Daniels, in an interview given out
since the sinking of the Tuscania, said:
Just as fast as Our ships can carry men
to Europe they will go, and Just as fast as
they are equipped, they will be sent, and
ships will carry them, and no man living
will ever again see the day when our goods
will be carried across the Atlantic except in
ships flying the flag of the United States
| do not agree with those who say that
labor will not help win the war; said Mr.
Daniels. when you see it stated that
there are ten thousand men on a strike you
can be sure that there are also ten million
others at work building ships and making
munitions. More than six thousand men in
the navy yards of the north have worked in
freezing weather on ships to send men to
France, while those who criticised 1aboring
men have remained in their warm homes"
The work of the state councils of defense
and of the agents of the public service re-
serve in enrolling 100000 skilled workmen
for the United States shipyard volunteers
is of paramount Importance in the early
winning of this war, for on earnest labor
| depends the early construction of our mer-
| chant fleet
| Within sixty days three huge govern
ment yards will be completed and soon
| thereafter more than 10000 workmen will
| be required to furnish for them the three
| eight-hour shifts necessary if these yards
are to turn out their ships according to
| schedule.
The shipping board now has 716 ship
ways, 800 of which are for wooden ships
| and 414 for steel construction. So far, the
yards in which they are established are
only working one eight-hour shift per day
| six days a week. If the United States is to
| keep ahead of the submarines three shifts
a day must be run for ffty-two weeks in
| the year.
| The program of Our government calls
| for the construction in 1913 of eight times
the tonnage delivered in 1916 at cost of
more than a billion dollars The shipping
| board has the necessary yards, the mate
rial and the money All that is now lack
| ing is a spirit in the nation that will send
| d quarter million American mechanics into
| the yards to give their best and most eff
cient work. And that lack will be met, as
| soon as the realization of necessity is
brought home to the people of the United
! States.
The sinking of the Tuscania, and the
consequent loss of life was dep1orable, but
sometimes it requires a tragedy to drive
| home lesson.
| The lesson the American people must
/ gain from our first great naval tragedy, is
! that of preparedness. We must be pre-
pared to meet the German menace with
| ships and more ships, with men and more
men, with greater and greater conservation
! to the service of our country.
The army and navy of the United States
are not fighting this war alone. Every
American is on the battle line, or should be.
We honor the man who wears the uni
| form of the service, but no less honor is
due the men who make possible this SER
vice. Just as the navy is the first line of
the British Empire and just as Germany
depends upon her submarines, SO must
America depend for victory upon the ship
| Ill IL de IL