The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-04-22
DETROIT MAKES
 RECORD FILLING WAR CONTRACTS

DETROIT, Mich, March 30.-The tremendous part which the automo bile factories and other industrial plants of Detroit are playing in the prosecution of the war is shown by figures obtained for The Associated Press by the Detroit Board of Com merce. According to these statistics war contracts totalling $600, 1000, ,00( have been turned over to local firms since last April, but industrial leaders and trade experts seem agreed that this fact Is secondary in importance
 The leading spectacle in Detroit's war drama has been the remarkable speed with which many of these con tracts have been filled. It is believed that no city in America got under headway for government work more quickly; kept more free from strikes and labor dissension: protected it. industrial resources more perfectly from enemy plots, or accomplished more when rail and water transporta tion facilities were lacking. There has not been strike of important proportions in Detroit since the Unit ed States entered the war. Several attempts at incendiarism were nip ped in the bud and there has been no serious fire at war products factory.
 Detroit men conceived the Liberty motor While motor experts were perfecting this piece of machinery, a local factory, nearly quarter of a mile in length, was being built A short time after the motor was ap proved by the government, it was being turned out in this factory.
 On another occasion, government representatives came to Detroit with contracts for $30.OOO,0OO worth Of ordnance. A large automobile com pdhy dSSSptCu tAC ldoh. SpSht lhol ' than $1,OOO,OOO for building construc tion and in a comparatively short time had installed the special ma chinery which the government had Manufacturing then became a routine.
 Then a proposition was made tc manufacture shells here. Several business men held a meeting, orga nized company, and new indus try was founded.
 Anti-submarine boat plans were an nounced at Washington early in Feb ruary. A few days later it was an nounced that contracts had been lei for a plant, to be built at River Rouge, suburb of Detroit, where hundreds of these small boats are tc be built and launched. The factory must be ready by the 10th of May according to the contract. Between 10000 and 15,000 men will be em ployed and announcement has beer made that the government will con struct a small naval training station there so crews may be ready fol each boat as soon as it strikes the water. The boats then will start fol the Atlantic ocean via the Detroit river and Great Lakes.
 Months ago automobile makers saw the threat of freight congestion Automobiles of every kind, iron great trucks and ambulances to small high-power officers cars were bein' made; airplanes were being con structed and parts for new type O. ocean going vessel were being bull in the same factories. The railroad! found the freight burden too heavy SO one Detroit automobile concerr suggested to the government that it: war trucks be allowed to delivel themselves. Permission was giveI and the plan proved successful. Tn cars not only delivered themselves a seaports but carried capacity load of freight.
 Day after day long lines of new trucks stream from the heart of thu city and, according to investigation made by the Board of Commerce they make the trip to Philadelphi; or Baltimore in much better tim' than the steam freight service"
 Detroit's two big shipbuilding com panies are, of course, doing nothing but war work. Their construction il 1917 was record, and greate achievements are forecast for thi year. The plants are building vessel of a length that will pass througl the Canadian canals and are fittin other lake ships for the journey t salt water
 Detroit factories now are gettin ready for their big output drive. Fue restrictions imposed by the nationa and state administrators have bee lifted, navigation soon will be opened freight service is expected to be muc
 better and motor truck trains vii
 continue to rumble eastward. The
 the fear of over-production setback
 will be dissipated. it is believed.