New-York tribune., 1918-02-19
Aid Needed to Keep War
Industries Going, Says
Labor Director
Wilson Approves
Appeal to Loyalty
All Strikers in East Are
Expected Back at Work
To-day

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-Unless work
srs in ship yards give their fullest CO.
operation to the Shipping Board in
speeding; up ship construction an en-
forced general slowing down of war
Industries is inevitable until the need
ed ships are built. according to a state
ment issued to-day by William Black
man. director of labor of the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation The state
ment was issued. it is believed. with
the full Endorsement of President
Wilson.
The Presidents intervention has
terminated the Eastern ship yard
strikes. Reports tonight to the Ship
ping Board from union heads in all
districts in which carpenters are out
said the strikers would be back to
work ct noon tomorrow.
William l.. Hutcheson, president of
the brotherhood Of Carpenters and
Jolners, who was due here to-day, did
not arrive. but is expected tomorrow
to take up the situation with govern
ment officials. Although, heretofore,
Hutcheson has declined to leave to the
Shipbuilding Labor Adjustment Board
a settlement of the carpenters de-
mands, officials believe that after Presi-
dent Wilson's message Of last night
he at least will be willing to renew
relations with the board.
Cause of Trouble at Seattle
The carpenters brotherhood. it was
brought out tonight was made
party to the creation Of the Adjustment
Board by the signature of its vice
president, but President Hutcheson
overruled his subordnate's action.
This fact. according to V. Evert Macy.
chairman Of the Adjustment Board. is
causing the present trouble at Seattle.
where carpenters are trying to enforce
closed shop. All carpenters in the
Western yards agreed to the Pacific
Coast wage award. Mr.. Macy said. unit,
they learned recently that Hutcheson
rcpudiated it.
Director of Labor Blackman's state
ment issued tonight. read
ut is only through shipyard labor
that relief to labor throughout the
country can come. Therefore, un-
called for strikes not only threaten
the safety of our armies in France.
but the very heart of labor itself,
through the reduction in employment
which is faced by millions of men
not engaged directly in shipyard
work
For this reason a shipyard strike
IS IN effect lockout, aimed at all
labor IN the country, and threatens
the very life of organized labor
itself.
"0n the shipyard workers depend
the ability of other labor to obtain
:. steady employment. If group of
yards or fail to give a full DAVIS
work not only will the resulting
stoppagc Of each mans work throw
'hcm out Of employment, but this
stoPpagc also will affect the employ
meht OF the $500, 900 war workers.
as well as the employment of the
entire 1S,o0o.oo0 workers through
out the country.
Compact of Labor Leaders
Because of this fact the labor
leaders Of the country, including
samuel Gompers. president of the
american Federation of Labor. have
entered INTO an agreement with the
pnaVy ny Department, the Shipping
board and the Emergency Fleet Cor,
poration, an agreement which has
ueen kept with scrupulous care bv
,Is slgners and enforced by board
she very personnel of which insures
fairness. 60
wish, therefore, now that the
resident has personally taken ac-
1ion in the carpenters strike. to
point out to employees and to the
members OF organized labor through
out the country that their own In
.ercsts arc vitality at stake in this
shlpplng matter and that tho who'll
force of their mighty influence n,nst
for their own protection, be used to
: keep the shipSards running full time
ana piock any attempt to paralvze
the nations business through str;les
and trust the labor adjustment hoard
TO deal fairly with them.
Ihis war can be won through tho
construction this year of $500 900
TONS OF shipping by the United States
ana the Allies. This amount will not
only overcome the submarine. but
also viii leave a margin necessary
10 transport and care for 1900 Oo0
american troops overseas.
ilrst Need Is Build Ships
There is but one thing ahead--a
forced showdown in American fac
'orles until the ships are built. Not
oniy are ports and docks now jammed
with supplies for overseas, but there
are also in Atlantic coast terminals
aione more than 10000 cars loaded
WIN supplies for Europe. No greater
surpius of supplies can possibly be
tttsimitted to accumulate, even though
nss5s, r.e 5esslmated amount of war supplies
needed this year for overseas ship
".ent zen viii total S,500,O0O tons"
Nore mere was report tonight that the
le@ b";S iork metal trades engaged in ship
nIa,laihg had requested that the new
rasware anase River wage award be made to
y spply IN the New York district. but
.emoers !. of the adjustment board said
H. naa not reached them. If they want
r;vo sv delaware scale it probably will be
amsh tbs n to them, it was said, although
"g p,,rd BOARD will hold hearings first.
oaaitimore carpenters, as we'll as met
IL H. 'raoe workers, already have received
w. vav opportunity of accepting the Della