The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-21

AZ present.. 4tle ILiAtleS are
spots they seek out are relatively
shallow estuaries, such as tho en-.
trance 10 the River Thames.
Once these mines ore tossed out
OF an airplane at night, there is
nothing TO warn British shipping
next morning that In the mouth OF
the Thames or other other va.
terways turks certain death.
TO protect shipping traffic, the
British have moored scowS Off
shore at the entrance OF the
Thames and also tho Firth Of
Forth, and TO these scows they
have attached balloon bArrages--
In other words, nets strung DO.
tween the balloons In order 70
tangie any airpiane which the
NaS might send 70 throw mag
netic mines into the water below.
U. 8. Intelligence reports also
that the British are assuming the
offensive against the German
bases In the North Sea from
which these fnine-iaying airplanes
take off.
Most effective remedy the Bril-
tish have developed 10 blow up
these mines ID 10 place two large
pieces OF iron over the water IN
order 10 attract and explode the
magnetic mines. However, this
takes time, so the British are con.
centrating on preventing the lay
Ing OF the mines rather than
blowing them UP after they are
laid. t...
N0TE-Tho British also have
experimental with an electric ray
which they hoped would penetrate
beneath the water and touch Off
the mines, However, this has
been q failure. Only one mine 80
far has beeen detonated by tho
ray.
LOTHIAN AND McNUTT
Although both Federal Security
Administrator Paul v. McNutt,
and tho new British ambassador,
Lord Lothian, have been In WASH
'ington for several months, they
had never met each other until
tho night OF the dridiron dinner
when photographers urged the
Democratic dark horse 70 pose
with tho ambassador.
"Dut I've never met him."
hesltated McNutt. "Well, don't
that worry yOu--hey, Mr.. AM
bassador, this n Paul McNutt,
he may DO the next President
and I think you should know
him." Both men laughed heart.
lily Ut the cander, II not the tact
OF the introduction, and sheok
hands amid . baFrage Of flash
bulbs.
FORTIFTCATION H0LDUP
Army ofiicers don't like 70 talk
about II, but more than thirty
million dollars OF urgent constriic.
ton work 10 foftify the Panama
Canal hos been delayed through
the War Department bungllng.
Tho work IA for tho coiiStrtic-
tion OF new OR bases. new har-
Dor defenseS and aiti-aircraft
guns which were voted In o hurry
nc the last session OF Congress-
10 date--five months later--the
contracts for this work have not
even been lot, and they Will not
DO lot until AZ days hence,
The delay was caused BY The
fact that Secretary Of War
Woodrlng planned 70 let the
Panama contracts on o cost
plus basis. This he was per.
lnItted 10 do under Q special act
o. Congress when u was found
that military secrets might be
revealed By public bidding.
However, other members Of the
war Department, including AS
sistant Secretary Louis johnson,
were opposed 10 cost plus con-
tracts and argued that the scam
dals OF the World War would DO
repeated. They pointed out that
when q contractor " permitted
10 work for the government for o
commission based upon tho cost OF
the lob. he nearly always runs up
tic costs, increases his commits
sion, and lets the government pay
the extra bill.
Finally, Major General Henry
0ibbins, quartermaster general,
submitted 8 memorandum that no
military secrets were involved and
that there was no reason why con.
tractors could not bid publicly 90
they DO on any other type Of cofis
tract. This was IN early SeptefIl-
ber. However, Secretary Wood-
ring stiii favored construction on
4 cost plus basis, and 4 total Of
100 contractors prepared appFoxl-
Nnata nnat 4AKllEaA.