Evening journal., 1918-04-27
SHIPYARDS TO DRGP
ALIEN CRAFTSMSE
Builders Association Out
lines Plan to Train
Loyal Force
HOG ISLAND PROJECT
CONES IN FOR PRAISE

ATLANTIC CITY, April 27.--All known
or suspected enemy aliens. no matter
how proficient they may be as crafts
men, are TO be excluded from American
shpbmldng plants as raWdly as work
eis OF known loyalty can be trained.
This was one OF several DECISIONS
reached in a conference yesterday OF
employment managers and other OIL
cials Of all shipbuldng corp0, atoms
presented I'm the Atlantic Coast ship
builders Association in the district be-
tween Bath Me-, and Wilmington.
How TO speed up the yards and at the
same time get the largest possible
measure Of cooperation from labor
with a minimum OF danger from enemy
sources were topics before the con-
ferces
Men fresh from the shipbuilding FIR
/ ing line said the advent Of Charles NJ.
Schwab. with supreme authority for
con nstruction. already has put pep in
| the industry. Philadelphians said Hog
/ Island air, ady is a more efficient ma
chine Workmen are talking Of
Charley Schwab as their big boss
and avowing their intention 90 show
+ him that Philadelphia wOrkmen are not
aggards.
Americas great need in shipbulding
today is an army of 100000 trained
shipworkers," said Henry G.. Hunter
secretary OF the Atlantic Coast ship
builders Association we had 10000
or less when America went into the
war. We have about 100000 now. We
want 100000 just as soon as it is pos
Sible for MS TO get and train them. and
we will need 10000 men proficient in
AN branches Of the Industry before we
get through.
The employment managers upon
whom devolves the task Of getting the
men and establishing training schools
I'm the Bath-WilmingtOn district, organ
lied with ID n. Kennedy. Of the Ameri-
can international Shipbulding Corpora
ton. which owns the Hog Island plant
as chairman
To insure prompt working out Of CO.
operative plans for hiring. training anC
distributing men the conference pro
yided for the immediate creation OF ar
employment committee 90 be comprised
Of one representative from each ship
building district represented i'm the AZ
lanlic Coast Association.
How 10 hire men, the conference de-
clared. is the great problem now con
f-0ntinc the shipbuilding industry How
90 house them is a secondary problem
II production Is 10 be speeded mp thl
Government itself must co-operat
through some modification OF the draf
, law as it is now applied in Philadel
phia and other shiphuilding centers.
g..
= appointed a committee Of employment
- executives TO present the situation
clearly 90 Mr. Schwab, the United State
shipping board and the Emergenc
Fleet Corporation. With respect {
this question the conference issued Tai
explanatory statement:
lt is frequently found that delay
on the part OF draft exemption
, boards in acting upon applications
~ for tho placing Of shipyard workers
in deferred classification lists re-
!, suits IN their being sent into mill
tary service and i'm many cases
losing the men altogether from the
yards
The conferces recommended also ths
the forces OF instructors employed {
turn raw material into trained worker
. so that speeding up may become "a
N actuality. be largely increased. SON
. of the shipyards have efficient trainin
: departments, while others seem 90 ha,
,, lost sight altogether Of the impo
tance of this preliminary branch
d, the program
/, The conference received reports
y substantial progress at Hog Islam
u Much of the criticism, 10 was asserte
" has been unwarranted and unfair. star
N Ing with nothing but mud flats $
~ months ago, Hog Island has eleven kee
. under way and is ready 90 lay dow
ihirty-ninc more as soon as Mr.. Schws
finds The steel The 25OOO men now en
y play 90 The plant represent virtually
Z per cent OF an the shipyard worke
on the Atlantic coast at the beginnI
of Americas participation in the war
There was no division of opinion
the conference as 90 the adyisabHity.
l7 not the necessity, OF eliminating
IN known enemy alien workers from q
uO plants as soon as they can be weed
~ out and replaced. ANY sethacks throul
]. the temporary loss OF their labor VIII
l substitutes are being prepared in d
e training schools. Will Doe more than o
to set hy the removal of the danger al
ment and tho greater enthusiasm viii
iu loyal workmen Will bring TO their tasl
'u Besides Chairman Kennedy. the co
ferees included G. j. Drenncn. ST
ln Shinbuilding Company. Chester: pa
TO- Gcndell New York Shipbuilding Coz
pany. Camden. a. y Diederichs "a.
Ian plant. Bethlehem Shipbuildi
Company: 4. L Ost. Cramp Shipyal
he John G.. Quinn. DoWnoy Sh'pbuildi
ms Corporation. g. L. Coppagc. pu-ry a
lam Jones Company. Wilmington T.
90. Ryan. Puscy and Jones Company;
,d fred L. Smith, industrial burcI
ks Merchants Association. of New Nor
r. ". Aitken, American Information
Shiphuilding Corporations j. Z. Nea
a standard Shipbuilding Corporation;
vo Rogers. Foundation Company, R.
er- Ham, Bath Iron Works; n. II. Haski
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporate,