South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-23
PATRIOTIC EVENT
At SmTUDEBAKER'S
Employees OF Detroit Plant and
Company Officials ChriSten
the First Gun Carriage.

Nevs-Times Special Service
DETROIT. Mich. Aug 23.-OVer
2 900 munitiou workers OF the Stude-
baker factories. 20 of whom were
women in shop oreralls. celebrated
in fitting style the christening or the
FIRST Of many OF the siege gun car
r.age- which they win turn out dur
ing The next few months as their bi.
in this program Of making the
world safe for democracy-
At 8 O'Clock. headed by the stu
debaker Military band Of 40 pieces
they marched i'm military formation
behind "a detachment OF Z. S. naval
forces To- The big factory yard. where
the giant % carriage fully equipped
and with us gun in place stood IN
readiness Back of the gun itself on
"a platform erected for the occasion,
sat high oHcials Of the T.. s. army
and navy. officials or the British
army. together with Prest a. r.
Erskine and other officers OF the
~~tudebaker corporation.
old Glory and all Of the flags or
our allies foated in the soft summer
breeze overhead. and ON the factory
wall directly back OF the platform
was the huge service flag Of the cor
porstiou with its 1887 stars.
lust before the ceremony started
the employees sent the following
cable 70 Cen. Pershing in France
Gen John J.. Pershns
T.. $. Expediuonary Forces.
France.
Today We are celebrating compile
ton of our first siege gun carriage
Maximum production now only a
matter OF DAYS. Your armies NAV
confidently rely on Us for support 20
lhe utmost limit of our ability.
tSignedl
Studebaker Nunition Workers
Military Wen Present.
With Mr.. Erskiue on the platform
were Mai Guthrie. ordnance depart
ment. Washington. n. c.. Maj. Ows-
ton. l.. s ordnance department:
Mai Cowterthwait. r.. s. ordnance
department. Ensign Evans. IT,. :.
navy. Fred J Robinson. distric.
chief Of the ordnance department.
and Col. Macklem OF the British
army.
The workers or all creeds. coiors.
ua|tioualities. showed their spirit OF
true patriotism at the very begin
ming when they Joined i'm -thunderous
acclaim with j Fred LawtOn. a ia
ulous cheer leader 10 years ago at
the University or Michigan. in a half
dozen ~screeching sirens for the
United states. ~Studebaker. Pershins.
md then To hell with the kaiser
such scenes were hardly thought
possible outside a big college foot
bali team.
AT the proper time dozens OF aerial
bombs were fired high into the ain
and bursting. released beautiful
shimmering United States FLAGS
borne on the breeze by tiny para
chutes
And then Prest Erskine, as chair
man Of the day. introduced Edgar
A Guest. one Of America best
known poets. who rec.ted with Won
derful effectiveness a few OF his best
kuown war rhymes.
Chairman Erskine in his address
to the workers sale:
Made Patriotic Event.
Fellow workers for the United
States-The christening of our first
% carriage today is an important
event. but the more far-reaching
effect OF this celebration. with its
large attendance. is the evidence Il
affords 20 ourselves. 20 our distin-
rHished guests. and 10 the members
OF U army and navy, that the Stu
dsbaker organization is hlled with
enthusiasm. loyalty and determine
zion 10 do its part i'm carrying on the
war TO a successful conclusion.
Each one of us clearly recognizes
duty 10 be a personal duty that
cannot be shifted TO another. and
thar effective and constant applica-
ton TO the work assigned ms is nee
essary If we are to promptly manu-
tacture and deliver the military sup
plies required from us.
While this is a war between ma
tons with untold man-power the
determining factor. it lis also a. war
~ machinery and mechanical equip
ment. absorbing practically the en-