The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-05

Referring to the recent editorial Il
the Manufacturers Record on tn
/ Hog Island shipyard. Mr.. Peter Q
/ Knight, Yice-president and genera
/ counsel of the American Internationa
corporation, and for many years on
of the foremost attorneys of Florida
writes: D.
THE building of Hog Island had ;
greater psychological effect upon gu
allies. neurals and enemies than an.
other one war work. Its completion
has been a national achievement
| The representatives OF other nation!
who have visited 1t have marveled a
American ingenuity, resources. ability
and brains. The amazing thing Il
me is that our own people shoulc
withhold the praise that other nations
have given this marvellous indus tria
miracle"
Mr.. Knight is entirely correct.
The miracle wrought in the build
ing of the Hog Island shipyard die
have very great psychological effect
upon our allies, neutrals and enc
mics. 1t gave encouragement to the
allies. as. it indicated to them the
marvellous possibilities of American
energy and power when thrown into
the war. 1t steadied the neutrals by
showing them something of American
force which had become active as
against Germany, and Germany knew
full well what was being done at
Hog Island and knew that its doom
was sealed through the building of
that and other great shipyards which
made certain the failure of the sub
marine campaign.
If the Hog Island shipyard should
never build a single ship, il today
it was thrown into the scrapheap,
and every dollar invested in it wiped
out, its influence would have been
one OF the best expenditures made
by the national government toward
world salvation from German dam
nation. In itself it was the most ire
mendous advertisement which could
possibly be written of the marvellous
power of achievement of American
business men. AS an advertisement
OF our strength, our energy, our
power to do things rapidly, the Hog
Island shipyard was worth far more
than the entire investment. And yet
The Hog Island yard is far and away
the largest shipbuilding concern in
the world, and will prove perma-
1ent factor in the industrial and COM
nercial life Of the nation.
The war waged against this propo-
sition was, we believe, distinctly a
part of the German propaganda
which flooded the American papers
With falsehoods, with misstatements
Is TO facts, and with wild exaggera-
ions as to what had been done
This propaganda attacked the char
lcter of very large number of the
foremost and most honorable bust
less men in America, men who had
been for years leaders in the great
of the nation, and In the
handling of its biggest and soundest
financial propositions.
The promoters of this shipyard
we're told by the government that
time was the essence OF the con-
ract," that everything else must give
way to the rapidity of construction.
They knew the psychological power
If doing this work on an enormous
scale in the quickest time without
'egard to the cost, for the ciyiliza-
ion of the world was hanging in /
he balance, and it might depend
Wholly upon the rapidity with which !
To take 900 acres of marshy land. !
o gather together great engineer
ng force OF hundreds Of the ablest
Engineers in the country. called from
very line Of employment, to bring
ogether more than 10000 men for
he building Of the plant, to fill up
he island, to drain its marshes, to
lrive thousands of piles, to build
many miles of substantial railroads
nd highways, to provide houses for
hese 10000 people, and to do a large
ortion Of this work in the seyerest
winter known to the country, when
was blocked, when the
round was frozen many feet deep,
0 bring Into the plant and distribute
o the proper points $50 carloads of
Material and equipments per day
ought from $500 different, concerns
4 different parts of the country and
D have practically the entire plant
4 operation building ships within I
welve to thirteen months from the
me at which the primary work was
utiined, is one of the greatest
ever recorded in the
istory Of mankind