Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31
TOOK IMPORTANT
PART IN MAKING
THE WORLD SAFE
Root & VaRDervOOrt Industries
Made Remarkable Production
Record During War.
BIG EXTENSIONS REQUIRED
One of the Few Plants Ready for
Business When the United
States Entered.
RX ROY 4. SEARS.

In the history OF the world war
as it affected this community, a
place of prime Importance will
have to be given to the story of the
contribution of the Root \, Wander
WORT industries toward the defeat
of the German military machine.
The r. & V. plant was in war work
long before the United states en-
tered the war. 1t was one of the
first industrial plants Of the middle
west to be awarded contracts fol
the manufacture of munitions and
munitions machinery for the Brit
lsh government.
Summarizing the contribution of
this industry toward the cause OF
the allied governments, it is found
that it included:
Shells, S-inch explosive and g.
inch gas. to the number of hun
dreds OF thousands. delivered to the
British and United States govern
ments: hundreds of guns, of 4-inch
and One-pounder size: and large
numbers Of mounts. sights and gun
stands for 3-inch and sIN-pOunder
guns.
Large numbers of specially de-
signed machine tools for manUfac-
ture of ammunition, furnished to
British government. Canadian and
American contractors.
Great numbers of motors for
tractors
Four hundred sixty employees Of
various grades of mechanical and
technical skill entered military ser
vice by enlistment and induction.
Liberty bond subscriptions of
$1.077.O5O exclusive of first loan.
More than $4,000 Of war savings
stamp purchases.
Liberal support of the Red Cross,
the war chest. the Y. NJ c. A. and
other war activities.
Services of W. H. VaEDeryoort,
president. as a member OF NUM-
tons standard board and the ma
tional war labor board
Perform Great Feats-
This record has inspired the IN
qualified praise of the representa-
tives of the United states and
British governments. and it IS a
source of pride and satisfaction
alike to the heads Of the COmpanIes
and the thousands of workers. men
and women. who have participated.
in its chievement. To pI 1dUce the
munitions and ordnance which
were turned out it was necessary
to.
Construct the buildings used for
the shell shop.
Equip the shell plant with spec
Ially designed machinery produced
chiefly in the engineering com
pany's own plant.
Organize a force capable Of pro
duclng hundreds OF S-inch shells
each day.
Replace one Of its important
buildings. the heat treating plant.
which was destroyed by IRE.
Organize a great corporation t.
handle the ordnance contracts. II
conjunction with the Wagner Elec-
trio Manufacturing company of st.
Louis.
Build and equip an ordnance
plant 70G feet long, with 10000
feet of floor space and furnished
with more than four hundred spec
tally designed machine lo0ls.
Replace hundreds of men who
went into service and il addition
recruit new workers for the added
departments till the total ap-
preached 5000.
These give but an outline OF the
problems which were confronted
and overcome They are Just some
Of the major difficulties v mich were
met. Just as there lies back Of the
history of the success OF the Amer
lean armies in France q wonderful
story Of business organization anu
industrial achievement at home, so
there is back Of the record OF the
r. x Y. contribution to the win
ming of the war a wonderful story
of successful management. OF over
coming Of engineering and mechan-
zeal difficulties. and OF individual
efficiency on the part OF employees,
foremen. superintendent and
executives alike.
British Contracts.
1t was in 1916 that the facilities
Of the r. & V. industry were first
utilized to help achieve the crush
ing OF Germany's autOcracy The
Root & VanDervoOrt Ell gineering
company was awarded a contract
for special laIhes and machine
tools for the manufacture of mum
tiOns, and soon afterWaTd the com
pany was awarded. in association
with other middle west manufaC-
turers, a contract for production Of
S-inch high explosive shells. IN the
manufacture Of machine tools for
industry was rated by the British
government as among the very frs
in efficiency. When it was given
a shell contract, the company put
up a new plant for the purpose,
and then faced the job of equip
ping it The machines made for
the British government were re
designed to suit the requirements
of the company, and the alterations
made proved so successful that
subsequently, the company devel-
oped an immense business in this
field, producing lathes for Eanad-
ian contractors making British
shells. and for American contrac-
tors who were given contracts for
United States shells later. The bus
mess became one of the very i'm
portant departments OF the indus
try. and continued to grow steadily
till the very end of the war These
specially designed and highly effic-
lent machine tools were not the
least OF the contributions of the
r & V. organization toward the
winning of the war.
So successful was the company
in its first shell contract that it took
on a part Of the work OF other con