The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1919-04-05
BY DANIELS.
Secretary of the Navy.

Navy Department expanded, but the
end of the war will not see US go
back to the small navy which we had
when the war began. The pending
bill in Congress carries. and any Dill
that passes must carry, for the pres
ent and future needs of the navy. 7
ive-fold increase of navy personnel
and naval expenditure over that which
prevailed in the early part Of 1877.
This means, of course, that we shall
not return, in employment of labor. ID
the repair of our ships, in the construc-
ton of our ships already authorized,
or any other agencies of a peace navy.
to the conditions Of two years ago.
In 1917, or the early part of 1t. 36,O0O
skilled men were employed in o u IA
w yards. When the armistice was
signed, there were employed $4,000.
and today $4,000 We are employing
more men in the navy yards today
than at any time during the wac, and
necessarily so.
You may ask why is this with he
end Of the war. There are three -ea'
sons The first is the imperative ne
cessity of repairing and altering ana
equipping and keeping In repair for
constant service the older types Of
battleships and cruisers which we are
employing to bring soldiers back from
France. Not only that, we have tilted
out and helped to keep in repair scores
of transports of the army ant the Ship
ping Board Ships have returned with
many accidents, minor, to be sure, and
this has imposed a heavy burden upon
the navy wards IL keeping theii ships
in repair.
When the war began there was Q
lack of enough ships Of smaller capa'
city in the navy tc engage In the new
warfare against submarines. anc we
took wei yachts and all kinds OF small
craft with the contract that, "a the enc
of the war. we would return them c
their owners in he same condition, as
we received them We had tc make
changes in these ships. anG they have
had a rigorous service. ant hat e .
large work which for months viii give
employment to skilled men
With all speed. we are completing
the ships already begun, and beginning
work On those authorized by the last
Congress. So that with the navy. for
the next few months, there will be no
unemployment. and the men who are
skilled in shipbuilding have Jobs at
their hand at high wages. and we are
enabled, by these reasons. to tide oveT
the days before normal conditions will
return.
When the armistice was signed
there was a drastic necessity to annul
contracts or to make such readjust.
ments as would save many millions %
dollars. At the same time there vas
the compulsion upon us. the stronges'
in America today, that every returning
soldier should have his job when he
came back home And in the naval
service we have seen to it that every
man who left our service at navy yards
or stations to go into the wal should
have his job when he came back ana
then there was the compulsiOn not to
discharge men who had rendered faith
full service in the war And how have
we done this?
We have sought to give naval work
so it will be a StOp-gap in the months
before normal conditions shall return
For example, we have in these last few
days made it possible for every manu-
facturer in America with a small ma
chine shop to bid on contracts for the
small parts Of torpedoes We will as
semble them. and instead of giving n
contract to a manufacturer of tOrpe-
dOes-all of them-to a single concern.
we are making it possible for any small
machine shop in the country TO make n
part of these torpedoes, assembling
them in our new plants. So, IN other
ways. we are giving work to small fl,
tories and keeping the work going.
Now the duty comes to us in these
days Of transition for State govern
ments to ennar upon the work Of pub
lie improvements; for city govern
ments and for county governments, 50
thai employment may come TO labor
until conditions in individual enter
pr.ses make a demand fo7 labor
! am not one Of those who have
fear of the future employment of la
hor | am one of those who believe
that as soon ms we tide over the pres
ent conditions the demands of the
world for what America makes will be
So great that, with ships to carry our
products. there will be abundant labor
for every man in America who wishes
to work. AS oon as the terms Of peace
are signed and the country of Bel
g'nm and thai portion of France which
was devastated, begin their work of
upbuilding, there will be demand for
almost everything that America makes,
an he is the wise business man who,
WI vis'on. is getting ready to supply
tAa' demand.