SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18,
A
1918.
TAE W. A. RECORD.
3
Master of Scientific War
IN AMERICA, WHO HAS BECOME THE THE EXTRAORDINARY CAREER OF A SCOTSMAN TRAINED SEA AND LAND FORCES. OF BRITAIN'S
GREAT INDUSTRIAL ORGANISER
By Judson C. Welliver, in "Mousey's."
"We're working day and night to into the Rohilkund-Bareilly railway presented eight hundred miles of Immediately after the battle of Arras,a had finish it. Couldn't possibly be done system, of which- presently, before he It Empire. the to railroad frontier last April, the Germans undertook under three to six months," he was as- was yet thirty years of age, Geddes bebe ripped up and sent, rails, ties, came traffic manager. But all the time heavy counter-attack in order to re- would cars, locomotives-lock, stock, and sured. which from ground valuable the this is Thursday. On Nionday the idea of getting back to England "Well, cover again down laid and France, --to remained near the top of his mind. they had been driven; but their effort barrel 1 must have an office in that building, volume for war work. By accident he learned that the with telephone, desk, and rug." was smothered by a tremendous I began, "ever-" earth," on -Who fire. of British artillery Between Thursday and Monday a North-Eastern Railway of England "Oh, Geddes, of course!" 1 was inchiselled a scaffold, on had a vacancy in its claims depart up Now, according to all Germany's climbed formed. "lie learned railroading in the man learned professors of the art of war, United States, you know, and practised off the words "Agriculture and Fisher- ment He wanted to learn that particuartilheavy a there was no excuse for les," chiselled in the words "Armament lar aspect of the business, which in The it in England." and imlay fire at such a place and time. right Buildings"-and .on Monday morning England is a highly intricate overnight which the area in an France, in Over big guns had no right to be there, earlier, Sir Eric walked into his office, approv- portant one; so he decided days two evacuated Boche had -parties. the storming on the heels of ed the rug, sat down at the desk, and to get this job on the North-Eastern I saw multitudes of experts building Being addicted to the habit of prompt The Berlin "Tageblatt" voiced the Ger- new faster than the Germans started business. elan disgust. It felt that something dis_ had highways That's the sort of man he is, all over. and direct action, he immediately reputup: them blow to .able been tinctly unsportsmanlike was involved ting in bridges; laying down held rail- The things that he finds necessary have signed his position and took the first steamer for England. Arriving there, in the reprehensible haste of the British paralleling them with water- an almost uncanny way of happening. in getting their artillery up so soon that ways; all so fast that the van of con- The impossible is not recognised in any he went straight to the office of the mains; North-Eastern system and applied to there was sin chance for a counter- struction was never safe from the fire department where he rules. the deputy general manager. attack. such as the rules prescribed in of the retreating Huns. A Scotsman Born in India. "I came to see you about that job of such cases. There was justification for suspected been have may as " Geddes. organised"Whoever said. complaint, and the "Tageblatt" non_ never finished. his name, is a Scotsman; but he claims agent," he was from question The leasure. "Where have you come frord?" asked derously announced its disp "General Geddes, of course," they as- was born in India, in the shadow of the the official. Utterly lost to shame, the British sured me. "He invented that sort of Taj at Agra. He is the son of a famous "From India," replied Geddes. commander, Field-Marshall Sir Douglas railroad when he was in engineer who had gone out to He told his story and got the posi. Haig, had the effrontery to mention in India to build bridges. At an early age A little while later the Government arrangeHaving secured. it, it occurred to transport the that despatches in Great he came back to Britain, and received -building ship all the over took scents which had made the thing pos- Britain-naval and merchant, iron, his education at Merchiston Castle him that there were many loose ends sible were wonderfully efficient, and steel, and wood, steam and sailing, big School, Edinburgh. Perhaps there is of affairs in India that hadn't been atentitled to a great share of the credit. and little. It would have a czar in something significant in the fact that tended to, so he took the next boat lie went so far as to name the culprit charge of the whole business in order this institution was founded by the back to India to close up his business responsible for this violation of Ger. to .systematise, cheapen, hasten. great mathematician Napier, the inven- there. Geddes had been all over India, and manic ideas of military proprietary. The But for such a task as that who's for of logarithms. Napier was some- had acquired information which later man he named was Admiral -General big enough to-" off mathecutting hand of a at thing of the utmost value to him. He Sir Eric Geddes. For, though never a I was assured. corners, and his pupil Geddes proved Geddes," matical "Admiral the north-west frontier, the and knew sailor, Geddes is an Admiral: Manifestly, it was necessary to know is a wonder at lopping off industrial mountains, the shipping, the railroad though only an amateur soldier, he is more about this man Geddes, who corners and clipping knots of red tape. he had learna Major-General. Intended by his father to be a lawyer, ing. Among other things, seemed to be bossing the whole show. At forty-two years, this man has If it wasn't his war, it seemed likely the youthful Geddes decided that he ed both in India and in America the to the developrailroad of the the relation probably forth as stand come to that at least he would soon hold most didn't like the law. Unable to modify ment of a new csaintry. foremost master of the art of co-ordin- of the stock. the young man got insistence, paternal When he went back to his position ating industry and transport with miliaboard a boat and worked his way to His Personality and Methods. the North-Eastern, he presently tary organisation; and that, it may be Newwith in he arrived When America, Having caught up with Sir Eric, one developed a theory about commercial observed, is the vital factor in snaking found some money penniless, he York, a discovering in feels real satisfaction as developers of business and and winning modern war. that his father had despatched to meet agents Sir Eric has outmanoeuvred the Ger- big man who quite looks the part. Six his immediate needs. Nothing in his creators of new industries. The idea had long been a familiar one in Ammans in their chosen fields. He beat the feet plus of typical John Bull, smoothbe. whole career is more characteristic than erica, but England had not experiKrupps at manufacturing munitions, shaven, square-jawed, sinewy, satbuildthe fact that he endorsed the draft and mented with it until Geddes assumed and having manufactured them, he hind a big desk in the big marble sent it back. He wished to find out the responsibility. built military railroads to take them to ing labelled "Controller of the Admirwhether he could get along in this those busy; the firing -line faster than the Germans alty." He didn't seem very working say world "on his own." From claims agent he rose to the could use the tracks they had already who know his ways of Geddes' Experience in America that, like so many other men who do deputy -general managership of the built. At this time young Geddes was sevenbig things and lots of them, he never which position he occu?ke Labours of a Modern Hercules. does seem very busy. His desk was im- teen. He found his way out to Homewar broke out in The time will come when men will maculately neat an dorderly. If business stead, Pennsylvania, and went to work pied when the greatemergency brought The national 1914. speak of Geddes' accomplishment in ever gets ahead of him, he manages to for Andrew Carnegie, though it is for Geddes. Some new opportunities 1916 as they have for a century dis- keep the evidences of it somewhere else doubtful if he realised at the time what body told the Government that he was cussed Napoleon's revelation of mili- than on that broad -topped desk. that distinction meant. However, he is the right man to do big things, and to tary genius in the Italian campaign of "You understand," he explains, a bit entitled to be set down as "one of Mr. do them in a hurry; so he was made There may be tasks in grand apologetically, "I don't do very much, Carnegie's young men." 1796. chairman of the central committee organisation too big and complex for anyhow; the staff attends to everyBefore long he had all the experience authorities for the mobilisation him to handle, but none has been found he seemed to require in a rolling -mill, of the northern district. me." for thing as yet; and lately the British Governand to lumber He he started learn the point. real The staff! There's the He had never been in politics, and ment has managed to set a new and is one of those men who know always business. This took him to a Western military experience was limited to larder labour of Hercules for him to where to find exactly the right man for lumber -camp, where he accumulated a his holding a commission as honorary tackle about every 4x months. hand, and how to get lot of American ideas that have since colonel in the Royal Engineers; but he in business the Before I attempted to chase the him to undertake it. served him well in various exigencies. interested in the genius of this man into its lair and It was in the United States that Sir was tremendously "The way he does it." explained one as soon as it became England's study it under the microscope and the of his lieutenants and devoted admir- Eric got his first lessons in railroading. war to raise a business. He proceeded real X-rays, I had already heard rumours ers, "is quite simple. He finds his man, During the lumber-camp experience he battalion from among the einabout him. At a great British port, puts him at work, and then stands be- was located at a station where a young pioneer system. the of North-Eastern ployees where ships were being loaded and un- tween him and trouble. Nobody gets a woman operator handled the telegraph is now a battalion of the Northumloaded in record -breaking time by a chance to interfere, to muss things, to wires. Occasionally she felt a desire to It berland Fusileers, and has earned high new system, I listened to the explana- invent difficulties. Heaven help the go shopping or calling, or perhaps to repute for its splendid work at the tions, and asked how it happened. tries to make worry for one take afternoon tea, and she taught front in France. He was its first honorthat person "Geddes!" whispered the harbour- of Geddes' force who's doing his job to Geddes the Morse code, so that he could ary commander, and devoted much master. place handle her work when she temporarily effort to its proper equipment 'and The Geddes' satisfaction. A glimpse through the marvels of wouldn't be big enough to hold the row absented herself. Later he entered the training. war-time ship -building methods on the that would happen. Everybody knows employ of the Baltimore and Ohio RailBut it was not fated that Geddes Clyde again inspired the inquiry as to that now, and so the row doesn't hap- road as a switchman, and became sits- was to lead his men in France. Before the repsonsible personality. pen. The staff look upon him as their tionmaster at a small place, remaining they were ready to be sent to the tres"Geddes!" was the explanation. big brother. Of course, if he discovers there three years. He lived in Cincinhe was summoned to the Ministry Later, in a great foundry, 1 saw hun- that he has got hold of a slacker, the nati for a time, and first and last man- ehes, of Munitions. Mr. Lloyd George, the manipulating huge dreds of women emergency exit is opened instantene- aged to see and to learn a great deal Minister. had heard of this strenuous cranes that tossed half -ton ingots of ously, there's a quiet emergence, and about America. young Scot who could always find time white-hot steel. Other women worked somebody else goes on that job. That's Although he wanted to see the world, the hydraulic presses that forged the all. But Geddes doesn't need to resort Geddes never had the intention of set- to do a few more things and do them and, although they had never fifteen-inch shell-casings; yet others to such methods often, for he isn't tling down for good outside of England. all well; met before, the man who is now Prehandled the giant lathes that bored given to mistakes" From the United States he returned to Taiedriie at their first interview, offered and shaped and measured these castthe home country, but it seemed rather post in the Muni_ Housing a New Official Department. ings into finished shells. This was truly too cramped; and. hearing stories of There's a story entirely characteristic the wonderful opportunities offered in tionsDeapnartimmpeonrttant industrial revolution-the men firing wasthe first really big war task the great weapons at the front, the of the man, telling how he went to work Western Australia, he took passage for to This which he was called. He was put in women making the guns and the am- when he was put in charge of a big the antipodes. On board ship he met a general charge of the production of munition at home. How did it happen? division of munitions production. There man who told him that Australia was arms, machine guns, scientific wasn't a convenient place for an "Geddes!" they told me. go. not the place to instruments and optical glasses, and Half a county full of workshops, everything was crowded and uncom"You get off the boat with me at warehouses, strange industrial estab- fortable. Sir Eric looked around, and his Ceylon and learn the sugar business," undertook supervision of the Woolwich Arsenal, the biggest in the kingdom. just structure a big on eye lighted lishments, fed by a hundred miles of this adviser. this stage of organising war indusrailway, employing thirty thousand across the street. He went over. try the problem of "circulation" in the in India. Forestry and Railroading "I'll take this building," he said. "Just people in turning out just one necesmunitions business was one of the most ashore at Colombo, So went Geddes need!" airy of war-'-that stirred the same in- what I "But you can't possibly have it," he but, not particularly fancying the sugar difficult. Circulation means what would quiry, and brought the same brief ancalled be moved on to in America "assembling." For business, he presently was assured. 'But I must," he insisted; and now India, where he became manager .of a example, the production of a shell in'Geddes!" wolves the making and then the The newspapers told about a corps there are three thousand of his staff in big forestry enterprise. Here, it appears, putting first together of a great number of the man's genius for adapting and deof expert Canadian lumbermen being it. The empty parts. shell is made in one of ideas facilities all sorts and veloping Later, when they gave him another turned loose in the woods of England place, the fuses in another, the detonaand Scotland, to rip out almost over- big business to handle .the same trouble first came into play. In the lumberin tor another, in yet an sight the timber that must be supplied arose. There is never office -room enough camps where he had worked in Am- other; then theretheis gable exploder, a in France, and for import of which no for government business in London, erica he had learned all about logging_ cartridge, a propeller, the an ignition but that dein India he found railroads, De_ new building for A the these times. ships were available. Whose idea was and so on to the end. partment of Agriculture and Fisheries the idea had not arrived. He put it into vice, that? light, narSpeeding up Shell Production. "Eric Geddes'," they told me. "You was in leisurely process of construction. effect, building a system ofwhich conRemembering -roads, that there are some -gauge lumber row decided It would serve, Geddes know, he was a lumberman in Am"When can I move into this build- tributed greatly to develop the pro- fifty components of a finished shell, erica." every one of which must be perfect,all Over the cables came the amazing ing?" he demanded of the proper oill- perty. These lines were ultimately absorbed of which must be assembled in preciseyarn that the Parliament at Ottowa cial.
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