The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-11-29
FINE RECORD OF
AMERICAN LABOR

OF the Workmen of America Will be
worthy of publishing beside that of
the gallant fighters for democracy
on the battefields of Europe.
American labor has performed
truly wonderful works in the great
conflict. 1t has been the hope Ct
the world; the one reliance of the
hosts of democracy abroad.
England's man power and that Of
France were called for the building
up of armies to a point where both
countries were dependent on Ameri-
ca for many raw materials. Ameri-
ca was also called on to furnish a
great army; but those who remained
in the factories redoubled their eff
forts, knowing that upon them de-
pended the safety of those who had
gone, and life itself for the unfor-
tunate war-stricken nations allied
with America.
Labor has not failed in its gigan-
tic task. With practically the
, whole world to feed, clothe, shelter,
and arm, one could hardly have Won
dered If the men at home had con-
sidered the contract almost too
much for them; but the American
worker is not of that type.
| GsIIo,,o &c c,,Loo,,
scious thought of the workmen-and
of the workingwomen as well-"that
has got to be done. It's a big job,
but it can be done if we will that it
be done" And it has been accom-
plished.
Floyd Gibbons, the famous war
correspondent who was wounded in
France, found how the workman felt
about the war in a conversation with
little American soldier on a rail
way tain in France.
The Kaiser is the worlds big
cest scab,' was the young soldiers
verdict. Gle had, by the way, just
come from the upper Michigan pen
insula, where he was one of a num-
Der Of strikers who had just won a
victory in strike for better work
ing conditions.) "The worlds on
strike against him, and we must
win the strike"
The patriotic workman and the
quick thinking manager have won
this war for America Senator Nc
Keilar recently declared that the
lions share Of the credit should go
to the workmen. The plans of
even the most astute managers have
gone awry; in some projects there
has been delay and almost failure.
But America has made up, or is ma
king up, all the defects of poor man
agement. And when peace finally
dawns, with America triumphant, it
is to American labor that the victo-
ny will be largely due.
Few persons realize the magni-
tude of labor's task in the great con-
flict What actually has been done
almost staggers the imagination.
American labor has built the ships
to carry American soldiers and sup
plies to Europe.
When the war began there were
rather fewer than 100000 shipbuild-
ers of any skill or training in the
country. Many times that number
were needed. The workmen of
America, with no motive but the pa
triotic desire to be of service, came
forward to offer what skill they had
gained in like occupations-black-
smiths, carpenters, sheet-metal
workers, and men of a hundred
other trades. They didn't know much
about ships, perhaps, but they were
eager to learn. How well they did
learn, and how we'll they wrought,
are Illustrated by the proud figures
America recently gave to the world,
showing that the United States is
in a fair way to become the greatest
maratime power in the world.
The building of these ships, how
ever, was but a small part of the
great program To construct the
great fleet that America has put
upon the waves, enough yellow pine
was required to have built a bridge
from here to France, with 100000
feet of timber left over. Getting
this timber out of the primeval for
ests of the great Northwest, hauling
it to the railroad, transporting it to
distance of 1000 or 5000 miles to
Gulf and Atlantic Coast shipyards,
formed an epic feat of labor that de
serves celebration by a great poet.
Moreover, America had to get
ready to make the ships The build
ing of the great shipyards was a
race against time and the German