Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-23
WHEN THE JOB SEEKS The MAN y

& WHEN THE JOB SEEKS THE MAN
The appointment OF Charles M.
echwab to supervise and hasten the
construction OF ships is one OF the
most important steps the government
or any Of its bureaus has taken since
the war began.
The failure OF the ambitious ship
building program to materialize, may
be charged to number of causes.
tracing hack to the unfortunate period
! during which Mr.. Denman, a Pacific
coast lawyer-politician. succeeded IN
muddling the first arrangements and
4 stirr1Ag up scandal of fair proper
lions.
/ Labor troubles have constituted a
! nrominent factor in the mass OF delay;
there Ia loud hint OF profiteering and
mismanaGement in the history OF
some OF the cost plus" contracts.
FOR Z time work was retarded by
changes in plans, official red tape and
Jealous uuarrels within the emergency
0eet organizations.
hut when Chairman Hurley had
done away with most of the trouble
and many of the trouble makers he
found that one> major phase OF the
problem centered in the inability OF
some of the ship builders to obtain
steel plates. The war Industries board
was accused of. failing to place Its
orders with sufficient foresight and
some OF the steel manufacturers de-
sclared shortage of fuel last winter
had delayed production materially.
Obviously, there was room at the
helm for man who knew the steel
business and ship building. man
capable Of organizing, energizing and
pushing a big and unwieldly enter
prise to success. Such man was at
hand In Charles NJ. Schwab.
Mr.. Schwab was chosen for the
enormous task because he knows its
lns and outs. 1t is his sort OF business.
1t IL particularly his li1e. This is a
notable indication of new and
admirable sort of thought at
Washington, where Dr. Garfield
was picked, to- administer the affairs
OF the coal industry despite his
lack Of knowledge of its intricacies,
and where he made appointments of
assistants, choosing men who could
prove that they had no first-hand
knowledge Of the coal business.
Il was 1t Washington, too. that Mr..
Baker, proud of his lack OF military
knowledke or inclination, was made
aecYetary Of the war department, and
Professor Keppeh former secretary OF
the Association for International Con-
Citation, was chosen to assist Mr.. Bak
or. 1t was at Washington that George
Creel, s0cialistic- pacifist and by no
means noteworthy as q newspaper
man, was selected to represent the
government in deciding what sort OF
Information about the war and kindred
topic should be given to the public,
what should be withheld and what
should be "ampiified." 1t was at Wash
lngton that an officer in Mr.. Bakers
ordnance bureau. when the. almost
0oarful suggestion was made that he
Mace orders for guns while the United
States was on the very verge of war,
replied, Were not interested
Beyond question the appointments
q Or. Garfield, Secretary Baker, Mr.
6fooQ and others were made with the
utmost conscientious desire to select
the best possible man for each I'm
portant post. These we're made some
time ago, and events have moved
swiftly in the United States. 1t Is tho
changing order to which we would d.
rect attention and approval.
SO It is reassuring to find, in the
NTH reorganization Of the nations
ship building activities, q man being
chosen to direct the work because he
can bring to his task . DEFINITE, de,
tailed million-dollar knowledge OF
what that task requires There need
Be no waiting for Mr.. Schwab to &C.
uuire ~yision" and seek atmosphere
=. L-,.s- Nlrn o. ht~ inh