Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-02
APPEALS TOLAbOR
/ To Do IT'S UTMOST
Col. Roosevelt, In Address at
Newburgh Ship Launching,
/ Denounces SIackers.
RATES L0AFING AS CRIME
BY the Associated Pres.

n 8y the Associated tte1o.
NEWBURGH, N. Y, September e.
" Slackers in American shipyards who
. loaf individually and unions Of ship
= builders which limit the output Of
. ships were denounced by Theodore
. Roosevelt today as traitors to the
; country. Col Roosevelt delivered an
address on the occasion Of the launch
ing from the Newburgh shipyards Of
: the first Of ten vessels, each Of 5000
. tons dead weight, which are to be
. built here for the United States Ship
|. ping Board.
Col. Roosevelt expressly exempted
. the employees of the local yard from
= his denunciation by saying that he
. understood that a warm spirit OF
- developed here.
p Likens Stacker to Coward.
+ Emphasizing the patriotic service
= rendered by shipbuilders, the colonel
said:
- "A Stacker In our shipyards Is as
shameful q creature as coward IN
= the Army in France, and good
worker in the shipyards stands hon
!. orably forward like a good soldier
in the Army. I have come here to
. Newburgh largely because my In
Quiries have convinced me that here
there has been no organized limita-
: tion Of output and practically no
- ally speaking, there is fine spirit OF
patriotism in shipbuilding labor In
= all parts of the country.
"Yet It has been alleged to me that
= in certain yards men have loafed in
dividually and that in certain yards
? unions have actually limited the out
put so as to limit the number OF
= rivets driven in day, or to limit the
- number of days that they work: or
= ment of our full strength and our
- utmost speed. Such men are traitors
= to the country.
IF had my way I would take any
abetted him, put him in the Army at
= once and send him across the water
to do the hardest work in the most
= dangerous position. and I would not
90 give him a rifle until he had learned
. the spirit Of patriotism. Any man who
- lays off now or skimps his job is a
traitor to his fellow Americans In
- France; a traitor to the men who need
all the help we can give them. On
:. the other hand. you. who. l am con-
- jority of the shipyard workers-you
who are doing your utmost night and
= day, week in and week out-stand on
- the honor roll Of American citizen
- ship as second only to our troops In
S France. and honor you. I am proud
beyond measure that am your fell
- low countryman.
. Burden Now on o. S. shipbuilders.
- '"rhe Army we have In France has
been put there only because the Brit
:. ish furnished US 60 per cent OF the
tonnage needed to ferry it across.
- must bear this burden. Therefore. any
limitation of output in our shipyards
- Is crime against the country. Any
- union rule or workmen's agreement to
:. limit the output in shipyards should
be treated as criminal at this time.
- Pershing's men are not limiting their
output. Shame and disgrace should
- at home. limits the output necessary
- to make the blood and labor Of our
~ soldiers at the front of no avail.
TT Is the patriotic duty of men in
"a the less essential industries to leave
those industries and to come to the
skill at the service of their country
n in the way which will best help to win
the war. Shipbuilding is the neck of
-FOUR Industrial bottle SO far as this war
= work in a shipyard go to the shipyard
nearest to him to help out in our great
Col. Roosevelt declared that no
2 profiteering whatever should be allow
be held by the government to the same
- st&hdard.