Arizona republican., 1918-06-23
W|LLYS REPORTS
 ON WAR ORDERS |. TO ASSOCIATES


 Tn his address to stockholders at the annual meeting of the Willys- Overland company, on May IA, President John N. Willys said:
 Since our last annual meeting, one year ago, the United States has had to adjust itself from peace to war con- ditions. You will remember, at that meeting, we had been in the war a | little over one month.. The automobile | industry was considerably slowed down by these changed conditions but recovered rapidly and we had a satis- factory business all through the sum- mer.
 The officers of your company i'm mediately offered the entire facilities of our organization and it's plants to the government. We believed it was vital and necessary that the govern ment should have such of these facili- ties as they required, and to that end we have co-operated in every way possible with it's officials and have accepted four large contracts and a number of smaller ones for govern- ment work
 First Large Contract
 1 The first large contract was | through our Toronto plant, with the British government, for 1000 Sunbeam | aeroplane motors. There have been many engineering changes, so that production is just now starting on this motor. A small quantity of these mo- tors have been manufactured and ac- 1 cepted and actual deliveries should now come along rapidly.
 "The second large contract was for 5000 Curtiss S-cylinder training mo- tors, for use in training planes at the several cantonments already estab- lished in this country. To take care of this contract, three buildings were constructed at Elmira-an assembling plant, testing plant and a take down and re-assembling plant, so that with these buildings, together with the buildings and equipment already al Elmira when the war began, we be- lieve we have there today the finest aeroplane motor manufacturing an6 testing plant in the world
 Promised Small Number
 "We had promised a small number of these motors in November and De. cemher, but on account of the unus
 ually severe weather and delays il
 construction the new buildings we dit
 not commence deliveries until January
 In March, the original schedule in tn
 contract called for delivery of 700 mo tors-we delivered that month S35 mo tors. In April, the original schedul called for delivery of 800 motors-w delivered in that month 1903 motors On April 30th, we were only two week behind our contract schedule. Ma 18th, we could have exceeded contrac schedule had the government neede these training motors As they di not require them, we have not speede up our production, but will delive during May and June, according t contract, 1000 motors each month. w have now delivered over 2,500 of thes 1000 motors, and to my knowledge W I have not yet had a single complain I regarding them. We have receive large orders for parts for these train 5 ing motors, on which we are now be ginning deliveries from our Elyri plant, and as we now have the equir ment and tools complete, we will | able to furnish the government, with Il out delay. all they require in the wa of parts for training motors.
 \ Criticism of Delay
 N While there has been a great de, of criticism about the delay in tt II governments aero program, we fe . that our stockholders should kno = that, so far as your company is cor 4 cerned, there has been practically n
 delay. and as stated before, we coul
 today, if the government wished,
 ahead of our original schedule.
 You will also be interested in learr
 ing that, since the meeting year az
 your company had purchased a lars
 interest in the Curtiss Aeroplane an
 Motor corporation. which, with tn
 help given by your company, we fe
 sure has been of great assistance |
 the government. The Curtiss compan
 has grown very rapidly. Naturally,
 a new industry which has shown sue \ great development as has the manu \ facture of aeroplanes there have bee \ a great many problems to overcom \ These have been surmounted and tt | development of the manufacturing ol | ganization of the Curtiss company | being taken care of.
 "Our vice president, J. E. Kepperl
 is in charge of the Curtiss plant, ar | the result of his management, I a
 sure, will show very satisfactorily
 the next few months. The Curti. ' company, year ago, was prOduclr
 at the rate of about s500,O00 per mont El-today they are running very nei | S15.000,000 per month.
 They have buildings and equipmer | which, with increased efficiency | their organization, believe will | able to produce aircraft approximatil
 something over s1O.O00,000 per mon
 before the year is out.
 Third Large Order
 The third large order was taken l
 the Toledo plant for approximate
 5000 gun carriages. We have be,
 busy for several months making toe
 and preparing for delivery of these gl s carriages, which will begin, with
 small number, in June, and increasin
 ly larger quantities thereafter mont
 ly. Our equipment is particular
 adapted to the building of these 2,
 carriages, and we look forward to sa
 isfying the governments needs on tn order and feel quite certain that O
 deliveries will be so satisfactory tn E we will be given additional orders.
 "The fourth large contract was f machining large size shells. This col tract will amount to about $10,000, ,0( \ We have created a special departme K for this shell husinees the Sar,1a ao u