The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-13

UQt CWO OUIlSI 1dCIS dIC HI
 One is that on at least three destroyers, the deck plates have buckled badly il what is technic- ally known as a moderately roll- ing sea-" For this reason it has been necessary to increase the weight of the decks ana thus make the destroyers even more top-heavy.
 Second is a metallurgical defecG in the rivets. The Navy still in- sists upon using rivets in its ves- sels, refusing to concede the tech- nical advantages of welding con- struction. And because of the de- fective rivets, literally millions of them will have to be replaced.
 Of the 28 new destroyers now completed or under construction, 20 are top heavy. The other eight are not far long in their construc- tion and their design can be changed.
 Reason for these construction boners lies in the antiquated sys- tenn of bureaus within the Navy Department and the jealousy of certain admirals who can't get over the fact that they graduated at the head of their class at An- napolis years ago.
 INSIDE REASON
 What happened was that ad- ditional weight, such as extra armor plate, was put on destroy CTS at high points, which brought their center of gravity too far above the water. The Bureaus of Engineering and Ordinance are supposed to certify these weights, while the Bureau of Construction and Repair makes the stability calculations, which are very in- tricate.
 In the case of the new des- troyers, the three of the private naval yards which were building the vessels feared that the cen- ter of the gravity was too high and pointed this out to the ad- mirals. The private builders even offered to submit the center of gravity tests to Gibbs and Cox, who are private design agents.
 The Admirals, however, declined the offer. They decided that they could do no wrong.
 NAVAL HOUSECLEANING
 Result has been CD that lead ballast has to be affixed to the keels to keep the vessels from rolling over in the water; and (2) Acting Secretary Edison has given the Admirals a thorough shake-up.
 Admiral William G. DuBose, Chief of Naval Construction, had claimed that the trouble was an engineering defect, not construc- ton defect. But Admiral Harold G. Bowen, Chief of Naval En- gineering, hotly replied that Du- Bose was at fault.
 So Secretary Edison has shifted Admiral DuBose to the naval experimental basin in western Maryland, where he can play with miniature models of battleships. And he has shifted Admiral Bowen to the naval re-
 search laboratory in southern Maryland, where he can do more experimenting with ships.
 Some consider 1t significant that Edison has shifted the two to op- posite parts of Maryland.
 NOTE-Reason for the under , cover campaign against Acting Secretary Edison on the part of some naval officers is the fact that he has finally determined that he, and not the Admirals. is going to rule the roost.
 PRESIDENTS BIRTHDAY FUNI
 Eddie Cantor had, a talk with the President when , he was in Washington recently, at which time Roosevelt disclosed important plans for changing his birthday fund.
 The President said that he wanted to broaden the aid to include all crippled children. not merely those who suffered from paralysis. He also expressed the hope that the work would continue after he left the White House, and that it was too im- portant to be linked to one per- son or personality.
 NOTE-Eddie Cantor originated the slogan March of Dimes" for the early stages of the Presi- dents Birthday Fund. and Roose- welt has always considered Can-