Evening star., 1944-11-21
|SomeryeII Urges cI0
To Help Find 100000
More War Workers
BY the Associated Press.

CHICAGO, Nov. 21.-The CIO
convention today was urged by 1t.
Gen. Brehcn Somervell, Army sup
ply chief, to help recruit another
100000 workers for war plants to
turn out the fighting tools needed
In Europe and the Pacific.
I'VE must have these workers at
once" Gen. Somervell said in an
address before delegates who yes
terday cheered Philip Murray, CIO
president. after he urged revision
Of the Little Steel" formula limit
ing wage increases, and said I'VE
have no quarrel with business"
Gen. Somervell told the conven-
ton that production in some items
is tagging by 40 per cent, adding,
"Itsall boils down to this: We are
calling on American productive
power for supreme effort to meet
supreme crisis. The doughboy has
fought his way ahead of schedule
and we have to catch up with him."
Hits Those Quitting War Jobs.
To the delegates who yesterday
heard Mr.. Murray assert the CIO
would continue 'in the maintenance
of our no-strike pledge" Gen. Som
ervell said:
Il know that you men and women
are sticking to your war jobs, but
there are a lot of Americans who
are not. They are turning to other
employment in quest of greater
postwar security.
Our men aren't dying in Ger
many and in the Philippines simply
to give some one the right to work
at soft job before the war is over
or to get an advantage over his
competitor. Our men are dying for
causes greater than any industry
or group of industries, greater than
any worker or group of workers.
We've got to back them up.
We've got to get people into the
plants and shipyards, into every
place our production schedules fall
behind. Our conscience must give
us no rest until every last man and
woman on the home front is In
there pitching with the same yigor
and the same unselfish devotion our
soldiers display in the face of the
enemy"
Items Urgently Needed.
Gen. Somerville said the 40 per
cent loss in production on some
schedules ''can mean the difference
between victory and a long drawn
stalemate. Some 27 per cent of our
shortages are in the items most
urgently needed right now. These
are mortars and mortar ammu-
milton, artillery and artillery am
munition, heavy trucks and tires,
airborne radar, tanks, cotton duck,
field and assault wire"
After Gen. Somervell, Vice Presi-
dent Wallace, choice of the CIO-
PAC for denomination for vice.
presidency, was scheduled to speak.
Yesterday President Roosevelt ex-
tended greetings to the convention,
saying that because of the press of
business in his Office he could not be
present in person.
Murray Reads Roosevelt Message.
In his message, read by MIR.
Murray to the accompaniment of
vociferous cheers, Mr.. Roosevelt saio,
American men and women OF as
sembly lines, at machines, In mines,
at counters, in offlce work, on farms
and those directing production
have, almost without exception. done
everything humanity possible to help
our brave fighters to carry on
against ruthless enemies. -
That job is not yet done. How
ever, we must, and I know we will,
keep turning out the weapons and
materials needed by our fighters so
that the war may be shortened, lives
saved, and our boys returned at
their earliest possible moment to
their homes and loved ones"