New-York tribune., 1918-05-06

will encourage every American soldier
fighting line may know Of what you
have done l yesterday sent this cable
gram to General Pershing:
management and workmen of New
York Shipbuilding Company have just
established world record by launch
ing steel ship of 5000 deadweight tons
in twentyseven days. The army of
$4,000 men in the American shipyards
thus show that they are working
rades in the trenches.
The patriotic spirit shown by the
workmen of this company exists in
every shipyard in America. Every
ship worker in the United States ap-
preciates the necessity of building
ships quickly if you and our boys are
to win this war.
"Will you give this cheering news to
boys in trenches, as these records
mean reinforcements Of men and sup
plies?'
"Now, my friends, as we are all SOL
dlers under one commander in chief,
whom the world recognizes as one of
the greatest leaders Of thought and
men of all times, | have the honor to
deliver message from the President
of the United States to the workmen
and executive staff Of the New York
Shipbuilding Company. He is keenly
interested in your work, and the con-
diuons under which you are working,
and II there is any doubt in the minds
OF any one as to his personal interest
IS your success, that doubt will be
Immediately y eliminated when his let
ter to eacn and every one of you is
read
Il have had facsimile copy of the
Presidents letter made, and each man
VINO has worked on the Tuckahoe will
receive one Of these copies as souve-
mir. MIR. Neeland, president of the
company, has these letters and will
have them handed to you"
The Presidents Letter
The Presidents letter was as fol-
lows:
"The White House,
Washington May 3, 1918.
"To the Workmcn and Executive
Staff of the New York Shipbuild-
ing Company, Camden, N. J..
"My Dear Friends:
"l want to congrat tulate you on the
extraordinary record you have made
in your work on the steamship
Tuckahoe. I wish l could be present
in person to express to you the feel
ing that | have that we are all COM
rades in great enterprise and that
you have played your part with
extraordinary devotion and skill,
eliciting not only my admiration but,
| am sure, the admiration of all who
will learn of what you have accom-
plished. I congratulate you and bid
you godspeed.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON,"
/ Will Try to Beat Record
a large measure Of the brilliant sue
cess of the Tuckahoe Is due to the care
with which Mr. Mason prepared the
material in advance and the thorough
manner in which the work was organ
lied. Notwithstanding these facts. the
men are confident that they can do bet
! ter still, for they labored under the
handicap Of having the Tuckahoe
hemmed in between Two other ships so
closely that it was necessary to work
with one overhead crane instead of
two, and they have made better gang
rivet driving records on other boats.
Many of the spectators of the launch
ing Of the Tuckahoe went in the after
noon to attend the patriotic celebration
at Hog Island. where fourteen keels
have been laid already. A feature of
the celebration was the parade of the
hog Island police guard 900 strong, led
| by their own band and followed by the
islands own fire department. Speeches
also were made by Senator Duncan U.
Fletcher, of Florida, and Admira
Bowles, with Walter Goodenough, gem
eral manager, acting ns master Of cere-
monies. Some thousands of the Hog
Island workmen were present, and when
Admiral Bowles predicted that they
would win gold medals by beating the
Tuckahoe's time there was an answer
ing Yell OF approval