socialistic and anarchistic organizations.

During the period of America's participation in the war there were
certain disturbances caused by the I. W. W., but from such movements the
American Federation of Labor held itself aloof. Occasional strikes, on
account of special conditions, were easily settled. The governmental
assumption of control over railroads and other essential industries had
much to do with the peaceful attitude of the workmen. The very high
wages which were offered to the workmen at munitions works,
ship-building plants and other governmental enterprises enabled the
workmen there to live in reasonable comfort, though it caused a great
deal of trouble in private industry, and compelled an increase in pay to
labor all over the land.

In the latter part of the war Mr. Gompers traveled abroad, as a
representative of American labor, and was greeted everywhere with the
utmost enthusiasm, while his influence was strongly felt in favor of
moderate and sane views as to labor's rights.

The American situation with regard to labor was made much simpler by the
organization of the United States Employment Service. This was made an
arm of the Department of Labor, with branch offices in nearly all the
large cities of every state. It had a large corps of traveling
examiners, men skilled in determining the fitness of workers for
particular jobs, and it undertook to recruit labor for the various war
industries in which they were needed. During the last year of the war
from a hundred and fifty thousand to two hundred thousand workers of all
kinds were given work each month. In addition to this the Employment
Service was a clearing house of information for manufacturers. The
Director General of this service was Mr. John B. Densmore.

Labor throughout the country, except when influenced by men of foreign
birth who were not in touch with the spirit of America, was universally
loyal, and its share in the winning of the war will always remain a
matter for pride.

[Illustration: Photograph]
THE GREATEST SHIPYARD IN THE WORLD
View of Hog Island shipyard near Philadelphia, showing the forest of
derricks rising from its fifty shipways. At the time the war ended,
35,000 persons were at work and 180 ships were in course of
completion.

[Illustration: Painting]
THE LARGEST SHIP IN THE WORLD AS A U. S. TRANSPORT
Among the German ships taken over by the United States at the outbreak
of the war was the "