The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-04-23
ABILITY TO GRASP NEW PROB. EMS BUILDS SHIP
SYSTEM At TODD YARDS
BASED on PROMOTIONS
Continued From Page One.)

creating new ones. That's the answer That's how
7hips are being built at the Todd shpyards.
Whatever they do to Americans in this war, there S
something they never will be able to do. They never
can knock the pins out of the Yankees by handing
them something new!
Out of curiosity inquired little into the history
of Shpbuilder Magill His previous training for the
Job of smashing dents into solid steel had been a
Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami university. His
actual experience had been laying on the law to young
america in a local grammar school.
The same probably can be said of Principals Stan
ley, Whteneck and Poage who also recently
teaching Tacoma's boys and girls, and of countless
Others in the Todd yards
The teacher has become a pupil and he likes it
s'They gave new job today" A promOtion-and
Nlagll is mighty proud of it.
The intensive training school of experience it is
that is pounding teachers and doctors and lawyers in
to skilled mechanics The same training school is
turning out the ships that to beat the hellish
ganzaon of brutalized efficiency. It's got to do it,
and it will do it.
How is it possible! What is being done at the Todd
shipyards is no more remarkable that what is being
done in the new National Army. Both
machines, run by novices who will make the thing go
or bust. Principal Magll and hundreds of other ship
yard workers in the same boat, unbeliev-
able than the soldier described for The Times by Re-
porter Lyons who enlisted at the beginning of the
private and is now brigader general in
France
The whole super human systematic only system
by which America can hope to win is based on promo
tons in this intensive going to school, It applies not
'ony in the shipyards and the army but everywhere
On any of the ships at the Todd yards recruit
starts in as bolter,. screwing up the bolts which
to hold the steel plates in place until the rvets
driven. If he has the intelligence and energy to mas
ter this, he goes ahead another step. He becomes
liveter-then rivet tester-thcn perhaps foreman,
and so on.
The system is advancement from mastery to fur
ther mastery.
Tbo, l. nJol l..
stands still goes backward, Americas fighting war
school has no place for him.
The majority Of men at the Todd shpyard,
found are keeping pace and are advancing, leading
the way for recruits. The majority of Americans, l
believe, are keeping pace in the gigantic upheava
that is bringing its change to every habit of life.
And that is the most hopeful sign for Uncle Sam
today.
All that remains to make Wilhelm take the count is
for every Mag to strike the pace faster and faster
Has it taken men of courage with the patience of
job, to round out this conglomerate Of human
material into working wholef You bet it hast
The regular army officers who have drilled and
trained the men of our national army, many of whom
never had gun in their hands before, have nothing
ON the shipyard captains and colonies. The leaders
who have made things hum with the sound Of war at
the Todd plant, are fighters every of them.
Toward the end of the day stepped into the CEN
trail office OF the Tod dpant where dozens of clerks
bookkeepers and stenographers were busy. There
porting over big ledger discovered high official
of the company, clearing up confusing tange that
some one of the office force had got into This Of
fetal had ben at it most of the afternoon learned
later.
He looked up with patient, tolerant sort of smile
as l entered
'Do you KNOW he said whimsically, "three or
-four times have felt have to the end of the
rope; but I've stuck to it, and I'm glad have"
l can imagine the thrill that these men who have
'stuck to it must have felt when they saw the eta
coma" first of Tacoma's steel ships, go down the
ways and cut the water of Puget Sound
1t must have been something like the thrill those
Sammes felt when the whistle blew for the first time
and they went over the top.