The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-11
URGENT NEED OF
MEN FOR SHIPBUILD.
ING RESERVE
Unless the United States Gets the Nee
essary Ships We Cannot Win the
War-Men Wanted to Reg
,ster fof Carvice
lister for Service.

Editor, Times. Barre, VT: There Il
only one way to get before the people OF
your city the real story OF present wal
conditions, and that Is through a full
and frank statement to you.
As Secretary Baker has just said. the
lack Of ships Is the crux Of our problem
II was the lack of ships that caused
Fuel Administrator Garfield TO issue his
drastic order closing the factories of the
nation, and forced Secretary McAdoo 20
issue his embargo ON railway freight. ]
need not point out TO you that manu-
facture will be stopped again and again,
regardless of the resulting chaos in the
business world until we can get sufii-
cient ships TO clear the freight jam at
the eastern terminals. Whether or not
we produce adequate supplies for our
troops in France and for our allies is a
secondary question rs long as we lack
sufficient ships To carry what we have
across the Atlantic,
Our present program. for shipbuilding
calls for six million tons a year-and
that is an irreducible minimum if we are
TO do our fair share in the war. The
shipbuilding board has the money, the
materials and the yards 20 carry out this
6000,O00 ton program. II needs the men.
70 build over a thousand ships year,
as planned, it must have an immense
reserve of earnest skilled labor to draw
ON as fast as plant is completed in the
yards and housing provided.
The shipping board has announced its
plan for the immediate creation of the
United States shipyard Volunteers re-
serve force of 100000 skilled mechanics
enrolled for service on demand. The four
minute men began the campaign on Jan.
2s. II is up to you to keep it going un-
til every skilled mechanic in your city
knows the nations vital need of his
services and has had chance to volun-
teer
Tell your people the story-that it is
ships that will win the war Tell them
the need of men in the yards-that earn
est skilled labor is the one element need
ed to assure the success of the shipping
boards program-needed not for imme-
date service in the yards, but as a reg
istered reserve on which definite individ-
llal calls can be made from time TO time,
as men are required TO do definite Jobs
in definite yards at definite times. Tell
them that the man who can handle
tool can serve his country-that he will |
be trained in the yards for work akin |
to his own trade. Tell them that pa
triotism calIs--calls on the most efficient, !
he steadiest, and best artisans in Amer
ca to volunteer; calls on their fellow
'itizens TO value service in the ship |
Yards as it deserves and to honor the
as they honor the men in
he trenches.
ha oh Il I
generous wage from the day they en-.
er. in shipyard. They will also be
,laeed in a deferred class in the draft As
ong as they are working on ships With
hese inducements, it should not need
much appeal TO patriotism to persuade
hem to enroll; and yet in many re-
poets patriotic appeal is the most i'm
'ortant. For the shipyard needs not
tream OF restless, apathetic shrkers
lowing in at one gate and out at the
ext, with no profit to themselves and
ess to their country, but a band of en-
husiastic, earnest workers eager TO
erve their country by building ships,
Ill victory in the war crowns their eff
orts, rivaling each other to drive the
lost rivets- realizing that every riyet
nail in the kaiser's coffin.
The crisis in the nations affairs should
e understood and faced fairly and
luarely by the entire nation. The facts
lould be made public, to the end that
hose trained mechanics who ara the
ackbone of every manufacturing bust
ess may come forward to enroll. and
nat the Importance of their work in
he shipyard may be thoroughly recog-
Ized by their present employers.
| believe that when the business men
the United States understand thor
lghly that their plants can work only
! part time, either because of enforced
,lidays or because of railroad embar-
,es, they will be willing to cooperate
furnishing these men
] believe also that il the men them
Ives understand that not one of them
assured of continuous employment I'M
these ships are built, they will be
ore anxious to aid in this work.
! know of no other way in which these
cts can be laid before the nation than
? taking this matter up directly with
III. ! understand thoroughly the ire
endous strain being placed upon your
ganzation by the continuous calls of
Up from the various departments of