Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-06
FRANCE MARVELS
OVER HOG ISLAND.
Major Pierce Describes His
Experiences Near ''No
Mans Land"
CONTRAST IN CONDITION
Tortures of Double-DistiIled
He'll "Over There" Held
Up to Shipworkers

Hog Islard workers who still shiver
when they recall last winter at the big
should contrast conditions
then with conditions as they were at the
same time near No Mans Land.
The suggestion Of a contrast was ad-
ranced by Major Daniel r Pierce. now
doing important Red Cross work in
France and formerly publicity manager
for the American international Ship
building Corporation. Major Pierce just
has written to the Hog Island News. the
company's publication. giving some
high lights of his experiences across the
Atlantic.
France Knows HOG Island
Don't imagine that Hog Island is not
known here" he writes. The orhcr night
at the Cercle Nomey | became almost
famous for half an hour because had
seen Hog Island Frenchmen are willing
TO believe almost anything about Amer
lea. But. they asked. was it really true
that there were fifty shipways FOR 1900
20 5000 ton boats and was it possible
hat the schedule really called for l2o
ships in $50 days?
Mention ships over here and know
something about the Emergency Fleet
program and one can get an Interested
audience anywhere. Paris 10 only fifty
miles from the battlellne and nowhere
Is il more clearly realized that we can
not end this war IN such way as TO be
assured OF peace hereafter without more
ships, and that we must have them
quickly. II is what must come from tn"
United States in the shape Of men and in
the form of supplies that will end the
war with clean-cut Allied victory.
Everybody knows that.
Last winter thought that Hog Island
was about the most uncomfortable place
in which man could find himself. Then
came TO heatless France and decided
that there were places worse than Hog
Island BY this time II is getting hot
near Philadelphia. and being human
there are probably lot Of fellows there
good fellows. too-kicking about that,
just as they kicked about the cold last
winter. Don't do it. It's too soft job
compared 10 the double-distilled he'll that
other good fellows are going through
here.
Torture OF German Gas
War never was comfortable. but this
is the most damnably uncomfortable
war ever fought. To the ordinfry
deaths and mutilations, the pain. horror.
mud, dust, wet, cold and heat of all
wars this one has added gas.
81 have seen only couple OF hum
dred OF gassed men. If you at Hog
Island had seen only half a dozen you
would THANK God that your part in the
war was work that you could do 5000
miles from German gas. The favorite
kinds now are odorless and SO dam
through hospital containing gas
patients without being affected. though
slightly, By the fumes. The gas ruins
the lungs and produces species of
living torture too fendish for endurance.
and yet it must be endured and rlsked
hourly by the men who are looking to
you at Hog Island to give them the
means--ships-to bring more men and
+ more supplies to France,
Life in the Trenches
Some of you no doubt are uncom-
Portable in your homes. But before you
compla in about living conditions COM
pare the worst home in America to a
filthy trench and its dugouts, where the
soldiers must not only fight bullets,
shells and gas, but get so full OF lice
that they are compelled to go through
a dclousing station, be shaved and have
their clothes fumigated before they are
! allowed to 60 back to their billets be-
tween tours of trench duty.
And then there is Paris. Perhaps
YOU would like to work all day expect
! ing every minute that Big Bertha will
will drop shell on your head and then
stay awake half the night wondering
whether the next air bomb is going to
drop in your street
! "All things considered, 1t looks to me
from where | sit that you fellows at
Hog Island are in a very enriable posi-
tion. and you should be, for you are
doing the biggest single job that has
fallen to the lot of any one in this war"