The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-12

Wilmington. Del, Feb. S-'The de-
mobilization OF war workers engaged
in manufacturing explosives. loading
shells and other military work In the
pu Port munition plants. which be-
gan when the arrnistice was signed
November 18th. last. il nov nearly
completed and moro than so. 900 OF
these workers have gone back into
tn" Industries of peace. When hos.
tiiitrS ceased the company had ar
rroximately $4,000 men and women
lengaged In war work In addition to
these sea- of the company's former
en ployes were wearing the ma ton y
uniform. having gone into the vari-
Gus branches OF the service either
, thr ouEh enlistment or draft Every
EFFORT has been made 10 care for these
returned soldiers and sailors and A
great number OF therr1 have resumed
their old positions: but tho return OF
the greatly-eSranded war plants 20 4
peace basis has made it impossible 10
ifind places for alt
Thc release of the mon and women
was accomplished in every instance
without crowding the labor market in
/ the communities near tho rlants
They were fed back into ordinary pur.
suits gradually and unusual efforts
were made 10 place them in new no
isiuons, The principal work Of the EN-
pioyment service OF the COMPANY since
1.-THE armistice was signed has been
directed towards transferring tho war
/ worker without confusion into peace-
! tin,e industries
At various times. In the anuohijiqa .
lfinn process. large numbers Of mon
were released For instance. at one
~ the war plants 1000 men Lett In
ono week. At another approximate
~ 5000 were released In - period If
two weeks. At another plant nearly
32.o00 were transferred IN peac, in.
dHSfrtcs within two months In the
interval between these largo d~rnohifi-
cation movements small groups were
constantly released. the pian being
never To- let mon go in a haphazard
fashion likely to result in labor con
tges'ion, hut always to acc that th~y
were able to pass directly to peace
time work.
The employrn Ont service. whom large
numbers of men were being de!nohtl.
lied, invited representatives of import
ant employing interests to come TO tho
plants These Included railroads.
shipysrd United States employment
service, and other large Industrial en-
ferprises. The Du Pont employees
were interviewed by these Representa-
tives and were taken over directly and
their transportation paid to new helds
of labor. This plan was SO success
full that In the case Of one war plant
on the day set aside for large de-
mobilization movement. there were not
enough men released to satisfy the
needs OF these outside Representatives
The Du Point war worker. before he
was released and before he received
his pay envelope, was told that these
outside agents were there to offer him
Job. n he liked II. he engaged with
them at once, In the meantime he
WIS allowed to leave his wife and fam
ily In tho company village AT tho same
rent and under tho same conditions as
when he worked there. Later. when
he Was fixed IN his new location. he
sent for the In naily.
There was a certain number Of mon
who did not wish to take any OF the
positions offered them. They wished
20 return 10 their home towns. Many
OF them believed that they would get
hack the old Jobs they held before the
war. SIN others knew OF Jobs In other
localities and wanted 70 80 10 them
When thcsn cases were bona tdo and
the company was convinced that il
was not merely r.attempt 20 get free
railroad passa@r, thcir transportation
WAS paid
Another successful plan TO place
men WAS that of keeping in touch With
a great number of peace time indus
tries. especially in the districts where
Tho plants were located As soon as
It was discovered that a peace-tir,e
f1rm needed employees OF a certain
type their representatives were invited
10 visit the shors. talk 10 the men and
engage them or inc spot The Du-
Pont company then arranged their re-
lease, In other cases. groups of men
who had been trained by the Du
Points to- state Of high efficiency
during the four wears of war work
were held. even though there was not
enough work W their lire 10 keep them
busy. until such time as places could
he found for them with firms that
were in need of mechanics Of their
special talent. Woodwork ere weldcrs
and other high class niachaniAs.
trained along spec,ai lines. Nlrs thus
piaES4 NJ I'M s l