Arizona republican., 1918-09-01


 Studebaker factories, two hundred and fifty of whom were women in overalls, celebrated in fitting style the. christen- ing of the first of many o the siege gun carriages which they will turn out during the next few months as their bit in this program of making the world safe for democracy" announced Mir. Lannis of the Arizona Motor Sales company, local distributor of the Stude- baker
 At o'clock, headed by the Stude- baker Military band of 40 pieces they marched in military formation behind a detachment of U. s. naval forces to the big factory yard where the giant gun carriage fully equipped with it's gun in place stood in readiness. Back of the gun itself on platform erected for the occasion sat high officials of the U. S. army and navy, officials of the British army together with Presi- dent A. R. Erskine and other officers of the Studeoaker corporation.
 Old Glory and all of the flags of our allies floated in the soft summer breeze over head, and on the factory wall di rectly back of the platform was the huge service flag of the corporation with its 12S7 stars.
 Just before the ceremony starte6 tte employees sent the following cable to General John J. Pershing in France To-day we are celebrating completion of our first siege gun carriage. Maxi mum production now only matter of days. Your armies may confidently rely on us for support to tie utmost limit of our ability. (Signed) Stude. baker Munition Workers"
 With Mr. Erskine on the platform were Major Guthries, ordf anoe 1cLart- r1ent, Washington, D. C.; Major Ows- ton, |. s. ordnance department: MaJor Cowter. hwait, U. s. ordnance depart ment; Ensign Evans, |. $. navy: MT. Fred J. Robinson, district chief of the ordns nee department, and Col. Mack leri of the British army.
 The workers of all creeds, colors, na- tionalities showed their spirit of trua patriotism at the very beginning when Il ey joined in thundrous acclaim with J. Fred Lawton, a fomus cheer leader ten years ago at the University oi Michigan, in a half dozen screeching sirens for the United States, Stude- baker, Pershing and then ito hell with the kaiser"
 At the proper time dozens of aeria bombs were fired high into the air and bursting released beautiful simmer ing United States flags borne on the breeze by tiny parachutes.
 President Ersfine as chairman of the day addressed the gathering as fol lows:
 Fellow Workers for the United l States: The christening of our frs 1 gun carriage today is an important | event, but the more far reaching effec O. this celebration, with it's large at 1 tendance, is the evidence it affords tt ourselves, to our distinguished guests and to the members of our army an( ravy, that the Stakeholder organization is filled with enthusiasm, loyalty anN determination to do its part in carry
 ing on the war to a successful conclu sion.
 Each one of us clearly ecognizes ou duty to be personal duty that canno DC shifted to another, and that effec tive and constant application to tn work assigned us is necessary If we arr to promptly manufacture and delive the military supplies required from US
 While this is a war between nations with untold TLan-power the determin ing factor, it is also war of machin cry and mechanical equipment. absorb ing practically the entire industria output of the, nations engaged. As tn United States is greater industrial, than any of the other countries, and a our industries are now mobilized in tn production of military and naval sup plies in tremendous quantities, it seem certain that within due time this over whelming force will be irresistible.
 In every war in which the Unite States has been engaged since 1S5: Studebaker's factories have been at tn disposal of the government, which ha invariably used them freely in obtain ing military supplies. Accordingly l was to be expected that we would in stantly rally 10 support the governmen in the present war. Even before actu al declaration of war was made b congress on April 9th, we had pre- vious1y, on February 6, 1917, the da after the president sent his ultimatul to Germany. telegraphed him tha Studebaker plants were at the disposs of the government, and had prompt received from him generous acknowl edgment and appreciation of our offe Soon after war was declared, we bega receiving orders from the officials C the army and navy, and up to dat have received 137 different orders. ( which 112 have been completed, whil partial shipments have been made O most of the 25 remaining orders, ex cept those recently received. Gu South Bend plants were almost imme diately swamped with work by tn quartermasters department and tn engineering department, fCr such thing as escort wagons, wheels and harness Later we received orders from th ordnance department for artiller wheels, hubs, gun carriages, tracto links, shell parts and shells and frOl the navy department for mine anchor We are building and equipping a addition to our plant at South Bend fC the forging and machining of 155 mlli meter shells with a tremendous dail production, which plant will emplo thousands of people.
 The rest of our South Bend plant are chiefly devoted to governmer work, and plant one in Detroit is prin
 cipally engaged in the same manne
 while our Chicago plant has bee