Evening star., 1919-04-11
DETROIT OFFERS
PLENTY OF WORK
Return to Auto-a-Minute
Gait Brings Shortage of
Skilled Labor.
POLITICS IS SIDE ISSUE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
DETROIT, Mich. April '11.-They
are back to the minute
gait here and getting ready to take
the demand of the American buying
public on high. which is only another
way of saying that Detroit came
through the war period without
serious dent in her wonderful indus
trial organization. They built air
planes and liberty motors and shells
and other weapons of war mere ana
didn't build many automobiles Tor
lack OF steel and raw material. but
now, well. the lid is of and the scramoie
for materials is on
whatever may be the condition of
other cities, Detroit appears to nave
no labor surplus, but a distinct
shortage of skilled labor. Any re
turned soldiers who are skilled me
chanics need hesitate no longer, for
Detroit will pay them good wages.
AS for unskiIled labor, there can't De
an oversupply Of it, or some or my
friends here wouldn't be offering so-oo
and 81 day to get help.
Auto Orders Exceed Supply.
The conversion from war to peace
has been accomplished IN typical De
troit fashion. The demand for auto
mobiles. which is coming from all
parts of the country, is almost i'm
possible to ELL. 1t will be midsummer
before all the factories are in full
production, but once the strlde IS
reached Detroit will again demon
strate it's remarkable capacity 1or
quantity production.
Talk about prosperity! I noticed IN
the morning papers here that the
bank clearings for the first three
months of this year were $363.OOO,ooo
spending three months OF last year:
when war production was In fuii
swing. / asked business men and
bankers here to analyze those hgures'
and with one or two exceptions they
said it was merely a reflection of De-
construction. Detroit hasn't any
doubts about the future and is going
on the assumption that the demand
for her goods will increase.
Of all the war plants the one that
interested me most was that of the
built in three months. And ten
months after steam was turned on 1t
was producing fifty liberty motors a
day. in contrast to the leading Eng
lish mandatory. which with three
years experience was turning out
plant turned them out finally at
eiEhty-five a day. What will become
of this plant? l asked w. Z. Leland,
who with his father designed the
Cadillac. They are not ready to an
nounce their plans-whether 1t shall
simply motors-but from airplane
motors to automobiles again, that's
the process here, and Detroit has add
ed another big institution to its array
ofplants which make most or the
automobiles for the American people.
Accept League as Inevitable.
Neither democrats nor republicans
seem to be losing sleep about the
prospects of the democratic admins
tfstion succeeding itself, but thought
fuI opinion of both parties seems to
aosept the league of nations as an
Inevitable and necessary outcome OF
the peace conference at Paris.
Senator Truman Newberry signed the
famous republican round robin. and he
tod me today that Of the letters he re-
ceived about 40 per cent were against
and so per cent for his action, and that
letters since received showed that much
amendments being offered The senator
- In favor Of an international concert
OF power, and, of course, wants to have
book at the amended constitution be-
fore he says what his vote will be, but
in all probability will line up with the
Dnajority party on the final roll call.
The new senator from Michigan used
to be assistant secretary of the Navy
snd served as commander in the Navy
during the war. Undoubtedly he will
become a member of the Senate naval
affairs committee, thereby establishing
The rare precedent in that committee
II having a man who actually knows
semethins about the Navy from first
hand contact. Mr.. Newberry is also
q successful business man, who. one
imagines, will keep an eye on expendi-
lures Of money, too, which is something
folks in this vicinity believe ought to be
done-in fact. they would prefer that
ninety-six pairs Of eyes be kept on the
habits and painful income taxes.
This is q republican state and demo-
Gratis aren't very aggressive. What
chance the President had to rejuvenate
make 1t attractive to the young men OF
the state was thrown away by the poll
ticians of the Wilson cabinet by their
discrimination in favor of the old-line
democrats. But all species Of demo-
Gratis seem to think Wilson stock has
been steadily declining since that let
ter last fall, adjectives describing which
vary with the locality, but are equal in
descriptive intensity.
How They Size Up President
As for the President, the hopes and
best wishes of the people are with
him at Paris. but irrespective Of party
4 ind two lines of criticism here
deeply imbedded in every discussion.
First, / am told that Mr.. Wilson
seems to have developed an aloofness
which by some is characterized as
spobbishness, by others as exclusive
ness and by still others as indiffer-
ence.
Second, I am told that while the ac-
tual facts may not warrant il, the
impression has gained ground that
Mr.. Wilson would sacrihce vital 49,
terests for personal exploitation.
As l say. one need not subscribe to
these impressions, but unquestionably
many people have them and they de-
rive most of their strength from the
oft-repeated assertion that Mr. Will
son wanted nobody on the peace mis-
sion who might engage him in intel
lectual combat even though such de
bate might lead to a more accurate
Interpretation of the desires of the
American people with regard to for
esgn policy.
So to summarize conditions in De-
troit, and they are much the same
throughout Michigan, business is
humming; workmen are contented
and are building homes, of which in
cidentallY there is big shortage
here as in Cleveland: wages are high
the league of nations is popular; Viii.
son stock is below par; democratic
stock still lower. and jitneys are be.
ing turned out by the Thousands