The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-02-04

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. a.--Ex'
pnining hts views on the nations
shiphuiiding industry and on the
strike situation in Seattle. Charles
"A Piex. director general OF ths
Emerxency Fleet corporation. has
made the following statement
In all fairness. the men who have
broken their obligation. under tne
Macy award. and walked out, de-
r1andsnx higher wages. should con-
slider the economic menace imposed
upon the nation BY their action,
.Thcy should give consideration TO
the fact that the war u over. ana
- the emergency to meet which
the United States government en-
tered upon its great snipouinihS
pruxrasn. IL o thing OF the past our
ehipbuIlding enterprise was started
ana carried 20 this point under very
uhusuai circumstance. Congress
anpxoprlated s.. 1900 .0oo.0 to build
i fleet OF merchant vessels with
,-Aich 10 meet tho emergency OF
~. and the president designated
- Emergency Fleet corporation as
~ agent 10 carry out this construc-
sl.n pworram. At the time this en-
t,priae wa. started the rate OF sink
.nxa b. German submarines inai-
Gated that f3.ooo.o 600 tons OF ship
ing would be sunk during the year
1117. This rate was not maintained.
h<ss nevertheless 100000 tons OF
ehipogur actually was sunk during
that year.
~America's job was to beat the
German submarine b. new consuue-
t,on. No money was spared. Every
n5eans for expanding the shipouiid
inn facilities Of the country was
ntiiixed. The existing yards were
e1nanded and vast new yards were
c&nstructed-
Emergency Was On
rswe started out TO build ships OF
/ n tvpes. steel. wood. composite
iland concrete vessels were ordered
ronstrueted at the highest possible
~o~~d. we need ships and were
nos particular what type was con
~fructed SO long as we got vessels
that would float. Anything witnin
reason TO help meet the emergency
was undertaken.
.~ro as,gcken completion Of this 81
r.ntir task. the government met
every demand for increased pay that
was consistent with the rising cost
OF living. and gave the shipyard
workers opportunity for additional
earnings by encouraging overtime
and sunday work at increased rates.
Speed. not economy, was the goal
when strip construction WAS delayed
by lack Of material we even resorted
to the costly expedient Of sending
steel by express to the yards
Yin the extremity which the ma
fiorAfaced. we called for and obtained
the ssrrfces Of 100000 new men to
bolster the force Of $4,000 employed
in The shipyards when this enter
urfse was started. The government
trznsported these men 10 their Jobs
M It's own expense and undertook
Ito train them in the crafts Of ship
building. Not only that. but IL paid
them high wages while they were
learning their trades.
aIn the emergency Of war. all this
fxUfnuttBlFf NhAsA N&atA AAEhNht ~
called extravaRance, in peace time,
was not only justified. but WAS alb
sciuteIy imperative. IL was Just as
much TO the interest OF the ship
builder that the emergency fleet be
constructed on time aB to the inter.
est OF the government at Washing.
on. II was the nations effort, and
very man, woman and child in the
ecuntry was benefited by our vic
y1ry over the submarine.
"Rernembcr. at the time OF which I
nm speaking We were not building
ships primarily for trade purposes
Int TO meet a dreadful danger that
was daily becoming more threaten
ing. The lives Of millions OF soldiers
were at stake, and the outcome Of tho
war largely depended upon our sue
cess In this emergency ahipbmldng
program.
~1sow the conditions are changed
The war ls over, and VIC must turn
our attention to the economic need,
Of the nation. The necessity OF war.
time construction brought the labor
cost per ship to such high figure