The evening leader., 1918-11-23

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 gal
liant fighters for democracy on the
battlefelds of Europe.
American labor has performed truly
wonderful works in the great conflict.
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 We're called for the building up
of armis to point where both coun-
tries were dependent upon America
for many raw materials. America
was also called upon to furnish a great
army; but those who remained in the
factories redoubled their efforts,
knowing that upon them depended the
safety of those who had gone, and life
itself for the unfortunate war-strick-
en- nations allied with America.
Labor has not failed in it's 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 American 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 a big job,
but it can be done if we will that it
be done" And it has been accom-
plished.
Floyd Gibbons, the famous war cor
respondent, who was wounded in
France, found how the workman felt
about the war in q conversation with
little American soldier on a French
railway train.
'The kaiser is the worlds biggest
scab," was the young soldiers verdict.
(He had, by the way, just come from
the upper Michigan peninsula, where
ne was one of a number of strikers
who had just won a victory for better
working co"ditions.) "The worlds on
strike against him, and we must win
the strike"
The patrio. & workman and The
quickthinking MANAGE have won this
war for America. Senator McKellar
recently declared that the lions share
Of the credit should go to the work
men. The plans of even the most as
tute managers have gone awry; in
some projects there has been delay
and almost failure. But America has
made up, or is making up, all the de-
fects of poor management. And when
peace finally dawns, with America tri-
umphant, it is to American labor that
the victory will be largely due.
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.
When the war began there were
rather fewer than 100000 shipbuild-
rs of any skill or training in the
country Many times that number
we're needed. The workmen of Am.
orlca, with no motives but the patri-
7tlc desire to be of service, came for
ward to offer what skill they had
Ealned in like occupations-black-
smiths, carpenters, sheet-metal work
ers, and men of hundred other
rades. They did not know much
bout ships, perhaps, but they were
Hager to learn. How we'll they learn
d, and how we'll they wrought are il
1strated by the proud figures Amer
"a recently gave to the world, show
ng that American shipping is now
greater than ever before in history
nd that the United States is in a fair
7ay to become the greatest maritime
2ower in the world.
The building Of ships, however, was
out a small part of the great pro-