Montana labor news., 1937-08-05
Construction of Battleships by U. 5.
Navy Yards

The decision of President Roosevelt to
have two new battleships for the Navy built
in Government Navy Yards will receive the
approval not only of honest seekers for econ
omv in the administration of the Govern
ment. but also of those who believe in Gov
eminent manufacture of battleships and mu-
nitions as a method of taking the profits out
of war and preparation for war and thus
lessening the influences which urge the resort
to war as a method of settling differences be-
tween nations.
The Bethlehem ~Shipbuilding Corporation
offered to build the two battleships for $685.
900, 900 apiece. The New York %Shipbuilding
Corporation made a bid of $50, 100000 for
each ship. The Philadelphia and Brooklyn
Navy Yards submitted bids of $36, $4,000 and
$37,265, 843, respectively, for one ship.
When President Roosevelt was informed
that the Navy Yards would build the ships
for practically twenty million dollars apiece
less than the bids submitted by the private
concerns he did not hesitate in warding the
contract to have one ~dreadnaught construct
ed in each of the two Federal yards.
The saving of forty million dollars through
Government construction of these two battle
ships gives added Importance to the position
of the American Federation of Labor for the
elimination of private profit in the production
of war munitions. After considering a num-
Der of resolutions on this subject, the 1886
A. F. of L. convention adopted the following
report submitted by the Resolutions Commit
tee:
"The American Federation of Labor has
time and again declared its emphatic protest
against war as a method of adjusting disputes
betaoeen nations. Many precious conventions
haze declared that private profit in the pro-
duction OF lDar munitions, had IN themselves,
on more than one occasion, led to crushing
burdens of taGation being placed upon the
people. Precious conventions haze declared
against the element Of pri0ate profit IN the
production OF lOar munitions. Attention has
been called to the propaganda of those manu-
featuring munitions Of tUar, and use of nelDS-
papers to ~infanle a people and their goUern-
ment.
"The American Federation of Labor has
declared its COMPLETION that our country, in
the l0OrId as 1t is today, must maintain an
adequate national defense, for IN a lOorld in
Which democracieS are being destroyed and
relationships SuppIdnting them, no nation can
feel itself Safeguarded from the dangers of
attack unless prepared to resist.
"Your committee is OF the opinion that
Legislation eliminating private profit from the
manufacture Of munitions for national de-
tense should be enacted, but that careful
study should be made before such Legislative
measures are drafted, for today lDar muni-
tons seemingly include almost the entire
field Of production, for aDhile battleships and
their ordnance are required on the one hand,
so are tertileS and medical supplies and an
infinite number Of other industrial products"
The convention referred the resolutions to
the Executive Council of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor with instructions to have a
thorough study made of the entire question
Of the elimination of private profit in the
manufacture of munitions before preparing
necessary legislation for the abolition of this
evil.