Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-21
100000 WORKERS
GOING TO EUROPE
Exodus of Americans for
Reconstruction Seen by
Sun Ship Man
WILL MODIFY PROBLEM
Supply and Demand Will Be
Brought Closer Together
by Emigration
WILL MODIFY PROBLEM


Europe.
He believes as per cent of all workers
Of foreign birth in this country will re-
turn temporarily to their native lands,
seeking the big wages and opportunities
offered there during the reconstruction
period.
He sees in this movement OF American
labor toward the countries OF our Allies
the only solution Of the problem Greater
by the nationwide cancellation OF war
contracts and the return of the men Of
our armies TO the vocations of peace
time.
Unless the American Government IA
cilitates this labor exodus hv tho whole
sale granting of passports. Mr.. Drennen
declares It will be impossible to place
the men of the demobilzed overseas
forces in lucrative jobs
Because of changes which are swiftly
being brought about in the labor situa-
tion by the dismissal OF hundreds of
thousands Of employees who held war
jobs" he looks for lower wages. counter
balanced later by lower living cost.
Mr.. Drennen bases his opinions on
knowledge OF labor conditions in Amer
lea gained by ten years spent in the
Supplying labor to big corpo-
rations.
Hired Half Million
He has hired more than 500 900 men
during these ten years in all parts OF
the United States and in many countries
OF South America
He has in the files Of his New York
offices the names. addresses and labor
qualifications of 1.150.000 men.
He says he is ready to ship abroad
at two weeks notice an advance guard
OF 10000 workers His list contains
men of every variety of experience and
ability, from high-salaried executives
down to day laborers
81 believe that 45 per cent of for
eign born workers of all Dationalities
will return to their native countries as
soon as they can get passports said
Mr.. Drennen.
Good for Labor Here
This will be an excellent thing for
labor here. The country is now flooded
with labor The United States Depart
ment of Labor will not be able to cope
with the conditions that are bound 10
arise unless passports are issued by
wholesale TO the thousands of men who
are eager 10 enter the foreign labor
field.
i am convinced that from 300, 900 TO
100000 Americans will seek work
abroad.
"I anticipate tremendous foreign
demand for American labor. This is not
speculation. but based upon facts in my
possession.
There will be work in plenty for
. riveters, bricklayers. machinists. boiler
makers; in fact for mechanics Of every
: trade
THE men who are waiting for the
Governments permission to 60 to the
war countries are prompted by two mo-
tives-curiosity and desire for high
wages. The pay probably will be the
highest in the history of the world.
an normal times wages here are
from 40 to so per cent higher than in
any other country save France. Even
French wages are 20 per cent below
those paid in the United States"
AS to the sticking" qualities OF the
men who will go abroad to work, Mr..
Drennen said:
THE best nationalites for overseas
reconstruction work will be the Rus
slams Italians and Greeks. The Greeks
will stick better and do more work than
any other of the nat!onalities.
Young Men Shift Jobs
Labor figures gathered during the
war period give some notion as to the
best ages for this service. During the
war 1t was found that the young fei-
lows, from eighteen TO twenty-four
years of age, were fond of jumping
from one job to another. Only l6 per
cent of them stuck to their jobs during
the time this country was in the war.
"Of the men between the age periods
of twenty-four to thIrty-four years.
about 2s to 80 per cent held their places.
The highest percentage Of stickers' was
among men from thirty-four years 20
forty-tive years of age, About G8 per
cent Of these men kept their Jobs
Therefore, believe these older and
more settled men are the best for recon-
struction work Not only VIII they
stick to their jobs better they also will
produce better results generally, doing
more work and standing the strain bet
ter than the younger men"
Mr. Drennen sees the approaching end
of bonanza wages In this country He
says pay already is on the downward
trend, and he expects It 10 go lower as
increasingly large numbers OF men are
released from war industries and the
army.
"It is simply the old law of supply
and demand" Mr. Drennen explained
There has been reversal Of the con-
diton that prevailed during the war Pc
riod once more II is the man who
seeks the job, instead Of the job that
seeks the man.
Hold 10 Your job"
"l want TO advise every man who has
a Job TO hold on TO IL. Men will not be
kept by employers hereafter unless they
make good The man who produces will
stay; the man who falls down will go.
1t Is a matter of Clean-cut competition.
as it was before the war
"I look for lower salaries and lower
living costs I believe pay will fall
before prices. however
The immediate cause OF n lower
wage level Is the cancellation OF war
contracts and the consequent discharge
of hundreds of thousands of workers
II should say that since the arnli-
stice was signed probably 75o, 900 work.
ers have been laid off by war-work fac
tories throughout the country. The
Remington Arms plant al Eddystone
employed $1,000 when II was running
at top speed II is closed now. The
10000 workers Of the Eddystone am.
muntion factory have had to look for
other jobs, So have the 10000 employees
of the big Du Pont powder works a,
Hopewell, Va. This same thing is going
on all over the United states
The situation will be made much
easier here during the next six months
IL the Government facilitates the emigra
tlon Of some Of our surplus labor. Even
though II leaves a shortage here OF ex-
pert mechanics the very fact that two
green men Will be required 10 All one
experts job will help absorb our labor