The Washington herald., 1918-01-14
SKILLED LABOR
NEEDED U. S.
Industrial Army Must Co
operate with Soldiers In
Trenches. Says Holland.

1t happened that on the day when
President Wilson addressed Congress
and the world for the purpose Of
stating the peace aims of the United
States and of the allies, several OF the
men associated with large business
and financial affairs. who have been
cooperating in Washington with the
government were in New York and
have been for two or three days since
Tuesday of last week. Annual meet
ings Of the national banks and other
important annual gatherings brought
these men Of large affairs to New
York. They have ben in position, by
reason of their association with the
government. to learn many things In
Washington of which the public has
had little or no knowledge. From
some of them important information
has been obtained. although out OF
Difference to the War Departments de-
sire, a part Of 1t must remain conf
Dental or at least stated only in gen.
eral terms.
According to these excellent author
tiles the President knew well, IL the
issue is forced by Germany and Aus
tria 50 that its termination will not
% ECdCAlC0 lOE I"O VI &C gCdAsB AAAdI
within a few months he will have be-
hind him abundant men, abundant re-
sources, abundant munitions, abundant
money and abundant food.
One Of these days there may come
from the War Department an official
statement which will tell the number
OF American soldiers now in France.
1t is not a half million. but is several
hundred thousand. Within the next
twelve months, so the President has
been informed. the United States will
have recruited thoroughly trained and
well equipped. an army. which may
not be as large as former President
Taft recently said would be essential,
5000, 900 men, but it will not fall much
below that figure. This great army
will have rifles in abundance. will have
munitions in plenty, will be provided
with big guns. il only two contin-
gencies are happily met between this
time and January /. 1919.
The Need of ships.
II the army recruited within the
next twelve months. including the
soldiers already in service. should
amount approximately to 100000 men,
or possibly more. then the only ques-
ton which will arise with respect to
transporting it to France is sufficiency
of ships. 1t will be a gTievous mis-
fortune. in the opinion of those in high
authority, il the greater part of this
army be compelled to remain in the
United States for months on account
Of lack Of ships. There is no grievous
apprehension that the submarines will
endanger ships, but there is appre-
hension lest abundant transportation
of this kind be unprovided.
The other contingency refers not
merely to labor, but to skilled me-
chanics. high-grade artisans. Already
the government has discovered that
by reason .Gf the fact that so many
men who Ere unskilled are employed
in the various munitions and arms
factories and those where big guns
aer being manufactured, a large per-
centage Of the material and tools is
necessarily sent to the scrap heap. The
men do as well as they can, but they
work with unskilled hands and un-
trained eyes. This wastage would
not be necessary if all of the labor
was that of skilled artisans. There
are. now about $4,000 skilled artisans
at work in the various Industrial
plants. but there should be twice as
many at least. In the Ordnance De-