European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1945, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Manpower shortage in vital Industry has led the army to loan some skilled technicians for fobs in War by Burgess Scott yank staff writer Many gis who a few months Back were slinging shells at the enemy or burning up rubber eau Feuring trucks behind the lines have suddenly found themselves shifted to the detail of working in War the detail is the result of a shortage of skilled workers in plants recently ordered to increase their production of heavy tubes and materials for Congress and the administration have already taken Steps to overcome the manpower but during the Emer gency several thousand a regiment Ful been assigned to a number of War plants on 90day work the plants told the army they could not meet the production quotas demanded unless some of their old hands were sent Back for a Only men As were experienced in the critical industries affected by the Man Power problem were picked for the and All those selected Are unqualified for Many were combat veterans who have been invalided no infantrymen and no men of other branches who Are now overseas or who Are in alerted outfits May be assigned to the pro no officer is no matter How experienced in Industry he happens to a very few of those furloughed Are astonished to find themselves for a Short in the same factories in which they worked before the a typical Plant temporarily employing i War workers is the Dunlop tire and rubber corporation at this Plant had employees before Pearl Harbor its service Flag today shows 530 More than 20 percent of its prewar pay so the army has shipped 50 former tire men to this its personnel William says he could use 100 More the tire Industry has been ordered to boost its output 25 most of the 50 Dunlop commandos Are Over seas Long timers who Are Home thanks to Rota Tion or because of ill the majority in the Dunlop group were shipped to the factory on such Short notice that Many of them had no idea what it was All about when they reported to Rufus the signal corps labor officer for the Buffalo Jones explained the strange setup to the Dunlop furlough is As he took up their papers and issued each Man a certificate to appease curious Jones the closest thing to a co the 50 will have for their spell As Emer gency War they have no first no military no latrine details and no unit Chow and hence no the factory has full say on work hours and full responsibility for keeping Tab on the 90day work furlough plan was devised in order to avoid setting up a military organization for the gis at each of the 150odd plants to which soldiers have been besides the tire in gis under the program Are in plants Mak ing Cotton Duck for in factories like the one in making in shops producing shells for 155s and other big and in forges and foundries where gear for production of artillery pieces is finding the right men for the detail took team work by their former employers and the factories Drew up a list of All their men in ser and the army sent teletype messages to All commands to have the form 20 cards combed for one pfc in who used to Recap tires in watched his tape relay an urgent request for tire a few hours later he saw three names clicking Back to higher his own among Joe Bowman was Home on furlough in when he received a Telegram to for get the remaining Days of his leave and shuffle off at once to Buffalo another of the group got two hours notice to catch a arrived in Buffalo the next Day and went to work at 11 that the Dunlop commandos Are Manning the owl 11 to 7 before the gis the machines were Idle during that the gis work seven eight hour Days a week at the Dunlop in addition to their army pay which is held for them Back at their out they get regular War worker the usual civilian deductions come in come Federal old age even unemployment As a Rule about 80 per cent is left after All taxes have been pay before deductions runs from around to a week for the jobs the gis Are doing at for a some plants thought it was unfair to subtract unemployment since the gis have no reason to fear they will lose their present jobs with the army for the duration plus six but the Plant pay Rolls would have been thrown out of whack by the Cancella Tion of this deduction for the comparatively few soldiers in the the gis have no kick on the taxes because everything they get from the Plant is Gravy except for food and lodging the men live where they please but most of those at Dunlop Are taking advantage of a Deal worked up for them by Jones and the presi Dent of the local the cios United rubber the Union a member of the talked his clubhouse into fixing up the conference room with cots and bedding for any Soldier workers wanting to stay Jones Man aged to draw enough army blankets and comforters to round out the charging each Man a the elks threw in full rights to their swimming steam room and Bowling on the Union each Soldier received a paper from the army telling him that there is no objection to your joining a labor organization of your own if you so so far none of the men has and no one is exert ing pressure on them one Way or the the army regards fatigues As the proper uni form for factory but the Plant is not particular so Long As the tires keep Conse each Man is letting his conscience be his guide in the matter of a few Wear but rank Means a sergeant May be help ing a private if the Guy from the seventh pay Grade was a better Man at the Job Back in civilian outside the proper uniform Isen forced by the maps around the Dunlop commandos have All sorts of army one was in a truck regiment in Alaska and figures some of the tires he makes Are bound to go Back to his old Walter of Chicopee wears four Battle stars on his Asiatic Pacific theater he was a bar Man with the americal division in the South Pacific and was sent to a stateside Hospital last september because of an illness picked up during his 32 months in the Down under before the army he had a Job building tire casings for the Fisk time to retire the 20card classification system found him on up at fort where he was assigned after leaving the while Kusek Drew the pfc who saw the Baltimore teletype machine rattling out his own orders for a work furlough was sent to Kuskes old factory in Chicopee in making the army was interested in How near a furloughed mans Camp was to a Short handed Plant and not in where a Man worked or lived before the one of those assigned to the Dunlop a is a Good Miles from but John Sinclair managed to get the perfect a 33yearold former tire Sinclair was with a fifth army Engineer battalion for 13 taking part in the Cassino fighting and the crossing of the sent Back on Emer gency he wrote his wife to join him at Pine she and then the Dunlop work furlough Deal came Sinclair happily moved Home to just five Miles from the it is anyone guess whether the army will extend the work furloughs when the 90 Days Are some men Are wondering How much their first sergeants will have to say about the work furloughs next time the question of a regular furlough is no matter what the top ser Geant the work furlough is will not have much of a squawk coming and they know