South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-25

NEW YORK, Sept 24.-Miles of
shipways their timbers towering
above marsh girted bays and rivers;
hundreds of hulls, their naked or
half-clad ribs yawning skyward;
acres of giant cranes and derricks,
machine shops and sawmills-this,
in composite, is a picture Of war
driven shipbuilding on the North
Atlantic coast, where more than
10000 men are striving to help
make good the nations promise of
bridge of ships" from the home
land to its soldiers O~erseas.
These men, equivalent almost TO
four divisions OF the troops whose
needs they are serving. have COM
pleted 65 vessels. capable OF carry
ing 325. 200 tons Of cargo on single
trip. They have launched 20 others.
And all this in a year when prepa-
ration rather than production nee
essarily has been the task of the
newly created eastern yards.
Make Schwab forget the Pacific
was the placarded message which
greeted the emergency fleet corpora
tion's director general when he Wis
tied a Connecticut shipyard. The
enthusiasm which dictated the slo-
gan is exhibited by a great major
itv of the managers and workers in
the plants which dot the coast from
Maine 10 Virginia and inland wa
tiers as far west as Lake Erie. out
distanced in production early IN the
war by the already organized snip
building industry Of the Pacific.
the Atlantic yards now are getting
their stride. and standardizing Of
their output type TO a plant
will speed the work They have
performed "a miracle i'm assembling
materials. erecting plants and hous-
ings. training shipbuilders and
building ships.
In this accomplishment, which in
peace times would have occupied
five years rather than u months
there has been a graphic illustra-
ton OF the first half of the war de
partment's work or fight policy.
/ Not bv compulsion-for the ship
builders are volunteers-men have
docled by thousands to the Atlantic
wards and have labOred through
davs of 10 hours There is moth
/ ing fgurative i'm the sweat of the
riyeter's brow. And the riveter.
backbone OF the industry Is typi-
I cal of his fellows. Wages are high.
| from the laborer's $4.40 to the riVet
drivers 500 or $50 a day. but emer-
cencv has compelled their payment.
Production. encouraging as il is,
has not kept pace with the emer-
gencv fleets program. There are
many contributinc causes-scarclty
If materials transportation delays
Inadequate labor supply and alb
4 santeeism of workmen. Some OF
.be shipworkers cannot stand the
nrosDeritv which suddenly has he
come their lot. The result Is five
davs' work where there might he
six and consequent slowing up OF
nroduction. Near the larger cities
Iebseuteeisr1 averages Is 10 20 per
cent taperinc down 90 and TO per
cent in the more isolated communi-
ties Managers. az first attributins
tho trouble 20 sunday work when
empIoves drew double pay and. in
MANY cases. 1ai1 off" q week day
for recreation. generally have dis
continued seveu-day operation. eX-
cent I'm emergencies. But eNery
DAVIS muster still has its list Of ah-
sentees. obviously "a serious blow "a
efficiency.
But "slackerisn" rs an uffense OF
the minority The real spirit OF
the shipyards is typical OF America
lat war. Propaganda PLAYS its part
p telling one. and by means Of com.
petition in construction. honor rolls
of high production and MONDAY
meetings designed % emphasize th'
importance OF the shipworkers
share i'm the national effort, enthu
siasm is maintained at a high pitcl
land is reflected in output.
Every plant has IT'S school wher,