OCR Text |
Show MEDALS. BADGES ID ; FLAGS FOR WORKMEN ! War Service of the Men Behind Be-hind the Lines to Be Recognized Rec-ognized by Uncle Sam. WASHINGTON, May 29. A plan for awarding- flags, service badges and distinguished dis-tinguished conduct medals to workmen in shipyards and allied industries the first public recognition ever given by tlie government gov-ernment to war workers back of the fighting fight-ing lines was announced tonight by the shipping board. Charles M. Schwab, director general of the emergency fleet corporation, originated origi-nated the system of rewards, to give shipbuilders visible evidence that they are helping as much in winning the war as the men who carry guns. Flags will be given each month to the three shipyards making the best records, all factors considered. Klrst honor will bo distinguished by the shipping board flag combined with the color lplue. Second and third honors will carry the same flag, combined with red and white, respectively. respec-tively. Any yard winning first place three months in succession will be given a permanent flag. Gold and silver-medals will be awarded for unusual and distinguished service in connection with the production of ships. They may be won, hot only by shipyard employees, but by employees of manufacturers manufac-turers of all material and equipment entering en-tering into the ships. The general test to be applied in making an award will be that, a s a result of the particular individuals' indi-viduals' effort, an unusual addition has been made to the completed tonnage. Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher has been named to head a board which will decide on the awards" of flags and medals. Serving with him will be F. V. Wood, former vice president of the Maryland Shipbuilding company, one of the, Bethlehem Beth-lehem subsidiaries, and a representative of labor yet to be chosen. Service badges will be awarded by a war badge board, consisting of Hugh Frayne. representative of labor on the war industries board: Major F. W. Tully of the war department; J.,. Ilowland of the shipping board; Roger W. Babson of the department of labor; Livingston Davis of t he navy department, and Carl Byoir of the committee on public information. The war service badge will be given to workers in industries where the work is sufficient in volume or importance to require the supervision of a government official.' .Each civilian worker who, for at least four consecutive months, has been employed on government work, will be entitled to a badge, with a bar for each additional four months' service. The badge will remain the property of the government, and will be protected by suitable penalties to prevent Its unlawful unlaw-ful retention if tlie holder leaves his work. The bars, however, will remain the property of the individual, to be handed down to hisdescendants as war mementoes. |