South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-02
Lifting the Curtain on War Industries
BY Madge Arthur

From a gallery in the great Madi-
son Square Garden. a splendid band
gave forth the opening strain OF the
Star Spangled Banner. The effect
was magical and impressive. In all
parts OF the vast hall, activities
ceased; statesmen with prospective
customers, forgot the urge Of business.
and stood at silent attention, while
from the head Of every male visitor
came his hat; noisy machines in
stantly stopped. and some two dozen
girls in blue-about whom. more
later-dropped their hands in their
laps. and sat motionless throughout
the playing Of the anthem.
Gilt letters on the caps OF the mu-
sicians proclaimed their organization
TO be the Ship Building Corporation
band, and a mighty good band 1t
was too, hailing from one of the
nearby gigantic shipbuilding plants
that have sprung up since the be-
ginning OF the war.
The date of this occurrence was in
the present month, the occasion be-
ing the motion picture exposition.
which is held annually in New York
and rivals the automobile show in
popularity. Just why Uncle Sam
should have decided to join hands
with the movie magnates in draw
ing folks TO the Garden, ! don't
know, but he did so decide, with the
result that visitors were enabled TO
gaze freely on some OF the most in
teresting features OF modern ship
building. and upon the fascinating
process Of gas mask manufacture.
Beneath the gallery where the
shipbuilding musicians held forth,
was displayed the model OF a won
derfully camouflaged u. s. transport,
and when their instruments became
silent, a decidedly more discordant
chorus OF sounds broke out nearby.
Riveters, welders, and splicers OF
cables were having their turn on the
program. Unusual applause greeted
the appearance OF a sturdy workman
whose flushed face betrayed his en-
barrassment. What was there. he
evidently thought, to make a fuss
about in the fact that he held the
shell rivets? But the public was not
to be cheated OF its admiration for
over-efficient war workmanship, and
continued to applaud.
Great piles of steel plates in va
rious shapes and sizes, lay about, and
when the knowledge sank into a
visitors mind that these were &C
tually to form part of some one OF
I Uncle Sans new vessels, they nat
urally became objects OF interest
II is wonderful how thoroughly alive
the American public has become TO
/ every detail connected with the
prosecution of the war: I saw wom-
! en- pick up and fondle rivets that
/ are TO become pins in a ships toilet.
as earnestly as though they were
gems from a jewelers. showcase.
Amid a din of noise, we saw what
is called a "bulling" machine clamp
| great pieces OF steel together, and
we saw holes and other patterns cut
out in slabs of that metal, as easily
as scissors work on cambria. by the
| use of oxy-acetylene. Huge wire
cables were spliced TO ponderous
bolts. before our eyes, and men I'm
naval uniform were moving here
and there. until one really felt one
were being taken into the confidence
of Sec'v Daniels and Mr.. Schwab
| themselves.
But a still more interesting reve-
lation OF government construction
efficiency awaited us on the main
floor of the exposition hall. A broad
ribbon extended the length of one
| of the aisles and contained the
words: Chemical Warfare Service.
L. S. A.-Gas Defense Division" Be
meath, at adjoining small tables, sat
26 girls clad in blue. So comedy
| were they, you wondered II they
might not have been selected solely
on account of their looks, until you
| observed the dexterity OF their
hands. At the extreme end OF the
row two OF these girls at sewing
machines were stitching together
| bag-shaped objects with two large
holes and a slit left in one side. AS
each OF these articles was completed
IL was passed to the girl next on the
line Of workers. Her task was to
insert glass discs in the round holes
Then the articles went TO the next
worker who, with a machine made
for the purpose, clamped the cloth
securely to the metal rims that sur
rounded the glass eye-pieces. Next
In line came a young woman whose
.sole duty II appeared was to inspect
the product as far as completed. and
either pass II on for further con-
struction. or return It for improve
ment.
So rapid We're the nanipulations
OF the remaining workers as the ar
ticle passed through their hands OF
its way 10 completion. II was i'm
possible TO tell just what each was
doing. one seemed 10 be merely fold