The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-25
VAR RECORD Of LABOR
LASTING TESTIMONIAL
When History of Great Conflict II
Written, Achievements VIII Be
PeYetual Monument.
WORKERS. EQUAL BIG TASK
Here Is n job Was Snbconscious
Thought OF Workmen, But 1t Can
and VIII Re Donc," Is Splendid
Spirit shown in Nations Crisis.

JInOuGnt Oh WOFkIncI, hut ~ N"Ss
and VIII Re Donc," Is Splendid
Spirit shown in Nations Crisis
When the history of the great war
is written, the splendid record of the
workmen of America will be worthy
Of publishing beside that of the gallant
fighters for democracy on the battle
fields OF Europe.
America nIabor has performed truly
wonderful works in the great CONNECT.
1t has been the hope of the world: the
one reliance of the hosts of democracy
abroad.
England's man power and that OF
France were called for the building
up of armies to a point where both
countries were dependent on America
for many raw materials. America was
also called upon to furnish great
army but those who remained in the
factories redoubed their efforts.
knowing that upon them depended
the safety OF those who had gone, and
life itself for the unfortunate war
stricken nations allied with America.
Labor has not failed in its gigantic
task With practically the whole
world to feed, clothe, shelter and arm,
one could hardly have wondered If the
men at home had considered the con-
tract almost too much for them. but
the Aherican workman is not of that
type.
Here is a job" was the subcon-
scious thought of the workmen~and
of the workingwomen as well-"that
has got to be done It's big job. but
lit can be done IL we will that it be
done" And it has been accomplished.
Floyd Gibbons. the famous war cor
respondent who was wounded in
France, found how the workmen felt
about the war in a conversation with
: Z little American soldier on French
hallway train.
THE kaiser Ia the worlds biggest
lscab.' was the young soldiers verdict
Gle had, by the way, just como from
the upper Michigan peninsula. where
he was one of number of strikers
who had just won a victory in strike
for better working conditions.) The
worlds on strike against him, and we
must win the strike"
The patriotic workman and the
quick thinking manager have won
this war for America. Senator Nc
!. Kellar recently declared that the
, lions share of the credit should go
!, to the workmen. The plans OF even
the most astute managers have gone
J awry; in some projects there has been
delay and almost failure. But Amer
lea made up. or is making up, all the
defects OF poor management. And
when peace finally came, with Amer
lea trfum plant it is to American la
Dor that the victory WAS largely due
i Few persons realize the magnitude
OF labor's task in the great conflict
What actually has been done almost
stAggers the imagination.
American labor has built the ships
to carry American soldiers and sup
plies to Europe.
Rallied to Country's Call.
FL When the war began there were
I rather fewer than 100000 shipbuild-
e ers of any skill or training in the
country Many times that number
~ were needed. The workmen OF
America with no motive but the pa
,, triotic desire to be of service. came
:. forward to offer what skill they had
gained in like occupations--black-
smiths, carpenters sheet-rnetal work
ers, and men of hundred other
trades. They did not know much
about ships. perhaps, but they were
eager to learn, How we'll they learned
and how we'll they wrought. are il
r Illustrated by the, proud figures Amer
lea, recently gava to the world. show
: ing that American shipping Is now
n greater than ever before in history
e and that the United States Is in a
= fair way to become the greatest mari
e time power in the world.
e The building of the ships. however,
was but a small part OF the great pro-
gram. To construct the great fleet
that America has put upon the waves,
enough yellow pine was required to
have built bridge from here to
France. with 100000 feet Of timber
left over. Getting this timber out OF
I the primeval forests of the great
northwest. hauling it to the railroad
] transporting it 1000 or 5000 miles to
Gulf and Atlantic coast shipyards
serves celebration by a great poet.
Moreover. America had to get
y ready to make the ships. The build
i ing Of the great shipyards was a race
e against time and the German sub
e marine: but they were completed
= through American genius and the de
d yotion of American labor. and this
@ submarine menace no longer exists.
+ The nations $4,000 factories mex
e needed help; those and the farms
Is While the wheatfields Of the west
= were clamoring for men to harvest
e the great crop that must feed mo-
u only this country but its armies and
: the armies and civilian populations OF
i the allies. the munitions works In
many parts OF the country were be
u ginning to feel keenly the losses thes
q had sustained through the draft Here
y was a double problem. which the
e United States employment service was
y al once called upon to solve.
Spare Labor Modified.
y This great organization. through its
u farm labor officials, succeeded first OF
!, IAN in mobilizing all the spare labor
I. of the wheat countryside older men
u an6 the boys who could give effective
e service. Next. men out of jobs or ex-
= pecting calls to the army within a
month or so were collected from all
parts of the country. In one way and
another a great harvest army was
II created which worked its way north
y Through the Mississippi and Missouri
n valleys to the Canadian border with
all the precision of victorious army
|. ION the battlefield. The American
e wheat crop was saved. and that OF
: Canada as well. Before the army was
p ldemobilized the American corn cror