Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-02-12
United States Shipping Board Sen::s
Out, an Earnest Appeal for Workers
to Volunteer to Help Build Ships.

to Volunteer to Help Build Ships
The editor of the Gazette IS in re
ceipt Of the following appeal from
chairman Frank 3. Lord of thS
United States Shipping Board :;
Washington. Similar letters will NJ.
tfoubtettiy be received by every news
paper editor in the country, showing
that rhc need Of men to help build
ships is most urgent, therefore it Is
hoped that those qualified for the
work will respond promptly TO the
request which is made:
There is only one way to get oe-
fore the people Of your city The real
story OF present war conditions, ana
that is through full and frank state
ment to you.
".As Secretary Baker recently sad,
the lack Of ships is the cruN Of oar
problem. 1t was the lack OF SHIPS that
caused Fuel Administrator Garfield
to issue his drastic order closing the
factories OF the nation, and forced
Secretary McAdoo to issue his en-
barge on railway freight. I need not
point out to you that manufacture
will be stopped again and again, re-
rardless of the resulting chaos IN
the business world, until we can get
sufficient ships TO clear the freight
Whether or not we produce adequate
supplies for our troops in France a'id
for cur Allies is 4 secondary ques-
ton as long as we lack sufficient
ships to carry what We have across
the Atlantic.
"Our present program for ship
building calls for six million tons .,
year:--and that is an lrredrcip'eI
minimum if we are to do our -".r
share in the war. The Shipping boarn
has the money, the materials ona
the yards to carry out this 6.ooO,Ooo
ton program. It needs the men. aoi
h,,ild over a thousand ships q year,
nc planned, it must have an immense
reserve of earnest skilled labor to
draw on as fast as plant is co'npie::i
in the yards and housing provided.
"The Shipping Board has annoanc-
cd it's plan for the Immediate cre7-
ton of the United States Shipyard
Vo,unteers-a reserve force o. 25O.-
900 skilled mechanics enrolled Ter
service on demand. The Fonr MINT.
Men began the campaign on January
2eth. 1t is up to you to Keep it gong
until every skilled mechanic in yonT
city knows the nations vital need 0!
his services and has had chance 20!
volunteer.
"Tell your people the story-t:iat
it is ships that viii win the war. leii
them the need Of men in the yards
that earnest skilled labor is the one
element needed to assure the success
Of the Shipping Boards program
needed not for immediate service IN
the yards, but as registered re-
serve on which definite individual
c,us can be made from tiric to time,
nc men are required to do DEFINITE
;nbs in definite yards at definite
times. Tell them that TIE man VINO
ron handle a tool can serve his cou2-
trv:--that be will be trained IN 'he
yards for work akin to his own trade
Toll them that patriotism calls
calls on the most efficient, the stead-
lost, the best artisans IN America "
volunteer; calls on their fellow ci'l-
1ans to value service in the SNIP
wards as it deserves and to honor tue
shinbullders as they honor the men
in the trenches.
"The shipyard Volunteers are assHF-
o, Of a generous wage from the Day
,bov enter in shipyard. Ihey VIII
also be placed in deferred class IN
tho draft as long as they are WORK.
;np on ships. With these inducements
= should not need much appeal 20
natriotism to persuade them TO en-
roll; and yet in many respects pa'f.-
otae appeal is the most important
For the shipyar6s needs not a sVream
of restless, apathetic shirkers now
;nc al at one gate and out at the
next. with no profit to themselves
and less to their country, but a bafio
Of enthusiastic, earnest workers eager
10 serve their country by Du'lo'-'s
ships, till victory in the war cro"fs
their efforts, rivaling each othei -
drive the most rivets-reaizing Ill A.
every rivct is nail in the Kaiser
cofEY,