The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-03-15


for it's patriotism and sacrifices IN
the war, said Secretary of the Navy
Daniels here in an address before
the Baltimore Press Club.
The Secretary's address was an
appeal for national unity as the
only thing to win the war He
warned against pessimism. He
pleaded with Americans when read
ing of a strike of 10000 workmen,
to think rather of the 100000
other American workmen laboring
in frigid temperatures, risking their
lives and limbs in the cold, that the
country may be victorious in the
conflict
Secretary Daniels, who was well
coined by Mayor Preston, prefaced
his remarks by talk on the duty
of the press in the war. Speaking
of those papers which showed a
disposition toward pessimism, he
said:
"This is no time for pessimism.
Neither is it an hour for optimism.
1t is an hour for dedication and
resolution. There is no room for
pessimism in America now. 1t is
sin!
How the War viii Be Won
"You may ask me-" he continued,
what it is will win the war-that
is, what one thing above all Others"
Here Secretary Daniels referred to
the various contributing factors -
food, fuel, money. He told of the
sacrifices asked in all of these
things, and the sacrifices made. BE
cause of the sacrifices made" he
said, "America has done more in
six months to get into the war than
any other nation in an equal time
in the worlds history"
But, said the Secretary, although
Hoover, Garfield, McAdoo and the
others might each select his partic-
ular line to dwell on as necessary
to win the war, he would say the
chief necessity is "ships and ships,
and more ships" But even then,
he added, he must qualify, for it is
not really food, or fuel, or money
or even ships-but the united spir
it of the American people" that will
win for the Stars and Stripes.
"The spirit of pessimism," he said
"has no place in this united spirit.
| have no pessimistic view that la
Dor will not do its part in this
war" he said. coming to the burden
of his address. | do not believe
there has ever been a time in his
tory when labor and the employers
of labor were more closely united
than at present.
."You read of the strike of 10,-
600 men and become alarmed. But
you forget that, while 10000 men
are striking, 100000 of others
are working-are doing work which
the pessimistic critic would never
think of doing. In the coldest days
which we have just experienced, tens
of thousands of workmen were out
in the open, driving rivets for our
ships, while the critics were staying
warm in their homes and offices
doing nothing.
Labor Can't Be Paid
"You can't do the work necessary
at banquet table criticising labor.
l personally witnessed $4,000 men
at work in the open, during the
coldest day of the recent spell, run
ming the risk of pneumonia and
death, repairing ships that food might
be sent to our men in France. La
Dor can't be paid for this work in
money. There isn't enough money
to pay for it. 1t is their sacri-
flee, and they are making it willing
ly and nobly.
"If now and then men strike for
higher wages, let us not forget that
men of capital have held up the
Government for profiteering. But
| thank God that now 80 per cent
of capital, as well as 80 per cent
of labor, is standing loyal and
true.
when the Industrial Workers of
the World raised its head" contin-
ued the Cabinet officer, "who hit
the head first? 1t was Samuel
Gompers. Yet every time we hold
up organized labor to scorn because
of men quitting work when the
weather is so cold the critics won't
even venture out doors, we are
striking down the influence of such
men as Samuel Gompers and Will
liam B. Wilson, who are up to the
hilt in work in this war, and who
will continue to so work.
| Labor is 95 per cent good, The