Evening star., 1941-01-14
Employment Service
Pictured as Hope in
Battle Of Production
Clogue, in Forum, Urges
Cooperation With U. S.
To Conserve Labor

Evan Clague, director of the Bu-
reau of Employment Security of the
Social Security Board, discussed
Labor for the Defense Program" in
an address in the National Radio
Forum last night. The forum is ar
ranged by the Star in cooperation
with the National Broadcasting Co.,
and is broadcast over a coast-to-
coast network. 1t was heard locally
over WMAL.
The text of Mr.. Clagues address
follows:
Twenty-four years ago the United
States was projected by world condi-
tons which we had not initiated
into a gigantic arms production
program. Now that program has
again been forced upon uS-forced
again by events beyond our shores
and beyond our control.
TWenty-four years ago American
industry had to turn to the produc-
ton of armaments in the face of a
war emergency. Today, we are at
peace-and hope so to remaln-but
we face an emergency which, as the
President recently stated, is as Serl-
Gus as war itself. Unlike the days OF
1918, Americans are not being
called upon to fight-but we are be-
ing called upon to produce imple-
ments of war in quantities far eX-
ceeding anything we had ever lmag-
ined. We must produce guns and
ships and airplanes-and food and
clothing and medicine. We must
produce them not with the speed OF
the last World War, but with an even
greater speed. We must produce
them not only for our own defense,
but also for immediate use by peo-
piles who, because of their geographic
situations, are in the front lines OF
democracys struggle for existence
and we must produce them with all
possible speed.
MechanizatiOn Increases Task.
The conversion of our industries
production of war materials was
not an easy task in 1917. 1t Is not
an easy task today. Indeed. 1t Is
in many ways more difficult, due in
part to the fact that modern armies
require more mechanical equipment
than ever before; in part to prob
lens of plant capacities and labor
resources. But the lessons learned
in 1917 and 1918 are being applied
successfully to the new problems OF
1941 by all three factors upon whom
the burden of defense production
lies: by Government. by labor and
by management. All three are max
ing use of the experience of quar-
ter century ago, applying the knoWi-
edge gained then in planning the
defense production so necessary IN
this emergency. The National Ad-
visory Defense Commission, the Of
flee for Production Management,
the system OF priorities-these are
all based upon methods of speed
ing essential production found sue
cessful in 1918.
1t was discovered early in 1917
that no planning OF production, no
establishing of priorities, no ex-
pansion of engineering facilities or
plant capacities could convert raw
materials into the instruments of
defense without a mobilization of
the labor resources of the country.
For months the labor situation
was in state of chaos. Some plants
were unable to find the workers they
needed. On the other hand, un-
employed workers were either idle
In communities in which they were
not needed-or they we're on the
road. going from place to place in
search of jobs with only the vaguest
idea of where they were needed. 1t
became increasingly obvious that
only a Government agency could
bring order out of chaos-a Govern
ment agency charged with the
duty of mobilizing our industrial
man power eciently, bringing men
and Jobs together with the least
possible waste of time.
Industrial Army Modified
In 1918, therefore, the United
States Employment Service was es-
tablished in Washington. Working
first through post Offices, later |
through its own representatives
throughout the country, our indus
trial army was quickly modified and
production of war supplies reached
the peak demanded by the Army, the
Navy and the merchant marine.
After the war, the United States |
Employment Service was continued
as a permanent Government agency.
In 1888 its activities we're expanded |
to meet another emergency-the de-
preston. Today the work of the
United States Employment Service |
Is directly associated with our State |
and Federal system of unemploy-
ment insurance. The Division of |
Unemployment Compensation and
United States Employment Service
are the two divisions which make
up the Bureau of Employment Sc
curity of the Social Security Board.
For % years the United States
Employment Service-created in a
war emergency-hasb been perfecting
It's methods of operation while serv-
ing the peacetime needs of workers
for jobs and employers for workers.
Now it is an officially designed de-
fense agency, well equipped to meet
the problems created by another
emergency and the problems of a
changing labor market.
In publicity regarding defense
program planning, the accent, until
now, has been upon solving engi-
neering problems and problems of
plant capacities. Production bottle
necks caused by deficiencies in raw
materials, in machines and in plant