Four British working men and their four American counterparts on an exchange visit to the United States enter a building in World War II. They are seen inside, seated at a table opposite representatives of American labor organizations including the American federation of Labor (AFL), the Congress of industrial Organizations (CIO) and the Railroad Brotherhood. During the meeting, one of the American workers states that they had just returned from England. One of the American labor representatives asks the English workers what they think about these exchange visits. They respond in support of them, and note they had an similar exchange with Russians as well. They also discuss international labor unity and its importance in winning the war. The British contingent note that they need more time to meet rank and file American workers to make any assessments. The subject of women filling jobs in war industry was viewed as affecting the lives of all women during the war and afterwards.
Logo of United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers Union Local 407 in New Jersey is shown. Narrator says it it one of the places a group of 4 English and 4 American Working men were to see on their exchange visit to America. View of their luggage The group is seen examining a map of the United States as they plan to make their visits in pairs to save time. They decide that each British worker would visit the hometown of an American counterpart. One pair leaves to visit Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The pick up their luggage. Another pair are going to Detroit, Michigan. They pick up their luggage. The third pair is going to St. Louis, Illinois. They pick up their luggage. The final pair are going to Los Angeles, California. They pick up the last remaining pieces of luggage. One pair of workers is seen entering the Chrysler plant in Detroit. The American was welcomed home to America from his trip to England. View inside the plant of an African American woman working beside an older man, where they were making tank and marine engines. The visitors examine the gang drill presses containing multiple drills operated by a single operator. They stop to say hello to the American's daughter who also works at the plant, checking to assure parts met tolerances. It was noted that she was paid the same as any man doing the job. The pair of visitors are met at the American's home by some company union workers. They sit together on the step outside the house and get acquainted. An infant inside the house looks out the window at them. Scene shifts to Los Angeles where another English-American visiting pair is seated outdoors and the wife of the American brings out some bottles of beer for them to all share. Change of scene shows the pair visiting the offices of the Screen Actors Guild in Hollywood, where they meet celebrities Edward Arnold, George Murphy, Dick Powell, Alan Hale, Jane Wyman, Helen Hayes and Lena Horne. Edward Arnold, President of the Guild's Board, speaks with the pair, alone explaining how every actor in Hollywood belongs to the Guild which is affiliated with the America Federation of Labor (AFL). Arnold shows the pair his union card. Closeup of the card.
A British guest on labor exchange program visit spends his last day as a house guest of his counterpart American's family, in Los Angeles, California. He is seen with the father in their living room with two children, while the mother prepares dinner in the kitchen. The children are sent to bed and the men and the wife, named Ellen sits down to dinner with the two men. The British guest waves goodbye to the family at their doorstep. Scene shifts to another of the British labor exchange visitors leaving the family where he had been hosted in a different city. Next, the four British labor exchange visitors are seen seated opposite representatives of American labor organizations including the American federation of Labor (AFL), the Congress of industrial Organizations (CIO) and the Railroad Brotherhood. They had met them a few weeks ago when they first arrived in the U.S. One of the labor representatives asks them about their impressions of America. They uniformly praise the effectiveness of the U.S war effort, extolling the efficiency and productivity of her war plants. One of the commenters calls for more international unity in the labor union movement. A spokesman for the American labor representatives expresses need to support the United Nations movement. Film closes showing the four British exchange visitors boarding a U.S. Army Air Corps C-54 transport plane to fly them home to England. They are checked in by an airman who wears a leather jacket with the Air Transport Command logo on it. The aircraft is seen taking off and climbing out over hangars at the airfield. (World War II period)
Documentary titled "The Secret Land" on the U.S. polar expedition,Operation High Jump. Clip opens with aerial and elevated views of landmark buildings and sites in Washington DC, including U.S. Capitol, White House,and the National Mall area. Elevated view looking back toward Virginia, with Potomac River and Key Bridge in the distance. U.S. Secretary of Navy James Forrestal makes a speech explaining the purpose of the polar expedition. Chief of U.S. Naval operations Chester W. Nimitz talks to U.S. Navy officers in his office. The Norfolk Naval base in Virginia. U.S. Navy officers and personnel aboard a vessel. Sailors prepare huskies (sledge dogs) in New Hampshire, for the polar expedition. Convoy of U.S. ships and several other vessels leave the naval base and head for the expedition. Animated map shows designated landing zone in Antarctica. Helicopters and planes will serve as scouts and transportation medium for the expedition.
A segment on manufacture of wire products, from a documentary titled ' The Story of Steel'. Shows the preparing of rod for drawing into wires. In the wire manufacturing factory, the wires are dipped into acid bath to remove scale, then a water bath in a giant wooden tub removes acid from the wires. The rod is carried slowly through a spray of water to deposit a fine oxide coating which is of benefit when wire is drawn. A lime bath neutralizes the acid and lubricates the wires. Lime coating is then baked. Workers working in a wire drawing room in a steel wire mill. End of a wire is sharpened on a grinder to point the end. Worker threads wire through die and onto large receiving spool, then cold rods are drawn through a hole in a solid die which reduces their diameter and increases their length. The spinning spools fill with wire rapidly. For safety of workers, the machine automatically stops after sensing a kink in the wire. The kink catches in a loop on a brake handle, and activates the brake.
Labor saving devices handle wire rolls in a wire mill in United States. Shows galvanization of wires. Wires are first dipped in a bath of molten lead. Entirely closed chamber of an acid bath apparatus protect the workers from hazardous fumes. A bath of molten zinc galvanizes the wires. Wires are rolled on reels.
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