Evening star., 1934-08-16
NAWHEADSSTUDY
BIDS ON WARSH|PS
Swanson, Assistant Secre.
tary Roosevelt and Ad-
miraI Bloch Confer.

Secretary Swanson, Assistant Sec
retary Roosevelt and Rear Admiral
Claude C. Bloch, judge advocate gen.
eral of the Navy, today were busy
studying the bids submitted yester-
day by 13 shipbuilders for construc-
ton Of q dozen new warshipS. An
other IL are to be built in the Gov
ernment navy yards, but estimates
for these have not been made public.
It Is expected the private companies
will know in about two weeks just
who have submitted the successful
figures.
Designed to build up the American
Navy toward the strength authorized
by the London naval treaty, the pro-
gram calls for. the building Of one
10,0o0-ton heavy cruiser with 8-inch
guns, the keel Of which cannot be
laid down until after January l next;
another cruiser of 10000 tons,
equipped with 6-inch guns; two
destroyer leaders each of 1850 tons;
five destroyerS, each Of 1,500 tons,
and three submarines. Apart from
this, there are now As warshipS being
built or under contract.
- IS Vessels Necessary.
In order to attain full strength un-
der the London treaty, however, the
Government will have to construct in
addition, 78 vessels, totaltng 136,975
tons, officials explained.
Yesterdays bid opening confronted
the Navy Department with a maze Of
figures, a number Of firms submitting
several alternative bids. These will
all have to be studied before awards
can be made.
Secretary Swanson. Assistant Secre-
tary Roosevelt and Admiral william H.
Standley, chief of naval operations, as
well as Admiral Bloch and Rear Ad-
miral Emory S. Land, chief Of the
Bureau Of Construction and Repair,
and other high-ranking naval officers
witnessed the bid opening.
The lowest bid for the heavy cruiser
was rendered by the Federal Ship
building & Dry Dock Co. of Kearney,
N. j., for $13,889, 900, more than
$2,o00,000 below its competitor. Alter
native proposals were submitted In
each case, providing for adjustment
of labor and materials at lower figures.
For the light cruiser, Gulf Industries,
Inc, of Pensacola, Fla, offened TO
build it for $12,600,000.
In the case Of the destroyers, Sepa-
rate bids were submitted for build
ing one and two of the craft. The
destroyer leaders brought an indi-
Gated low bid from the Federal Ship
building & Dry Dock Co. of SIS, ass, 900
for the first and if both are to be
built at its plant, then for $4.608, 900
each.
California Bid Lowest.
On the 1,500-ton destroyers the
General Engineering & Dry Dock
Co. Of Oakland, Calf, submitted the
indicated low bid of $3,635, 900 each.
The Electric Boat Co. of Groton,
Conn, appeared the low bidder for the
building of the three submarines,
each for $2,867 900. There were indi-
cations today that, in order to spread
employment. the administration might
distribute the construction around,
but there is also q possibility that If
the Government is not satisfied with
labor and wage conditions in the
private shipyards, a greater number
of the new warships may be built in
navy yards.
Conferences are being held by the
Labor Department and N. A. r. labor
officials in an effort to reach a salts
factory solution of wages and hours
in the private shipyards Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt has indicated the
Navy Is optimistic that an agree
ment meeting the wishes Of all viii
be reached.