The Washington herald., 1918-06-18
UNFAIR TO NATION
UNDER WAR STRESS
Government Forced to
Take Over Recruiting
of Labor.
ACTION TAKEN IS PLAN
OF SECRETARY WILSON
Head Of Labor Portfolio Wrote
President That War
Demands Ii.

President Wilson last night called
on the employers of the country to
cease competition for labor among
themselves, and apply to the gov
eTnment for their needs.
Labor he appealed to to fall in
with the plan. The needs of the war.
he declared, demand II.
Text of Statement.
His statement reads:
For more than a year it has been
our pride that not our armies and
navies only but our whole people is
engaged in a righteous war. We
have said repeatedly that industry
plays as essential and honorable a
role in this great struggle as do our
military armaments. We all recog-
nize the truth of this. but we must
also see its necessary Implications
namely. that industry. doing q vital
task for the nation. must receive
the support and assistance of the
nation We must recognize that II
IS q natural demand-almost a rieht
of anyone serving his country.
whether employer or employe. to
know that his service Is being used
in the most effective manner pos
Sible. In case of labor this whole
some desire has been not a little
thwarted owing to the changed con-
-ditions which war has created in the
labor market.
Confusion Through Ignorance.
There has been much confusion as
to essential products. There has been
ignorance OF conditions-men have
gone hundreds of miles in search OF
a job and wages which they might
have found at their doors. Employ
~crs holding government contracts Of
theshishest Importance have competed
for workers with holders of similar
contracts, and even with the gov
ernment itself, and have conducted
expensive campaigns for recruiting
labor in sections where the supply
of labor was already exhausted. Cal
ifornia draws its unskilled labor from
rs far east as Buffalo, and New
York from as far west as the Mis-
Sissippi Thus labor has been in
duced to move fruitlessIy from one
place to another. congesting the rail-
ways and losing both time and
money.
Unfair to Nation.
>Such a condition is unfair alike
TO employer and empIoye, but most
of all to the nation itself, whose
existence Is threatened by any de-
crease in its productive power. 1t
is obvious that this situation can be
clarified and equalized by a central
agency-the United States Employ
'ment Service of the Department of
Labor. with the counsel Of the War
Labor Policies Board as the voice
of all the Industrial agencies of the
government. Such a central agency
must have sole direction of all re-
cruiting of civilian workers in war
work; and, in taking over this great
responsibility, must at the same time
have power to assure to essential
industry an adequate supply of la
Dor, even to the extent of with
drawing workers from nonessential
production 1t must also protect
labor from insincere and thought
less appeals made to 1t under the
plea OF patriotism, and assure it that
when It Is asked to volunteer in
some priority industry, the need is
real
Asked to Refrain After July.
Therefore. I, Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States of
the United States Of America,
solemnly urge all employers engaged
In war work to refrain after Aug. /,
1918. from recruiting unskilled labor
IN any manner except through this
central agency. / urge labor to re-
pond as loyalty as heretofore to any
.aIls issued by this agency for vol
Inteer enlistments in essential indus
Ty. And 1 ask them both alike to
emember tkat no sacrifice will have
'een in vain, II We are able to prove
'eyond all question that the highest
md best form Of efficiency is the
pontaneous cooperation Of a free
eople.
WOODROW WILSON"
On June Is Secretary Wilson sent
he following letter to the President
rging the military necessity OF such
I plan:
My dear Mr.. President-Our IN
:reasing military energies are put
ing strains upon industry which call
'or the most careful outstanding of
sur man power. We can no longer
cave our labor supply to the unreg-
Hated forces of competition nor even
he patriotic efforts Of diverse agen-
ies OF the government unrelated to
comprehensive policy and UNIFIED d.
ection. There Is an increasing Short
Ige Of unskilled labor for war pro-
ects and likewise a shortage In GER
ain classes Of skilled workers. The
ieeded labor must be secured for war
Industries by drawing upon nonessen.
iaI or less essential industries, At
resent this Is done largely at hap-
lazard. A dispensable industry COM
o0ATINUED ON PAGE TWO.