The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-11-25
MONDAY. NOVEMBER 25, 1910
Our DEFENSE

National defense developments
reveal the increasing importance OF
the automobile industry in the re
armament program
The automobile big three-Gen
eral Motors. Ford and Chrysler-
are becoming important factors in
the building Of airplanes, tanks and
guns for am unprecedented peace
time army and navy
The army and defense commits
sion are preparing TO construct one
or more huge plants in which TO
assemble airplanes from parts man
ufactured by the automobile indus
Try
Recent defense contracts placed
with Chrysler and General Motors
Corporations cover construction OF
1000 medium 23.ton tanks and III
225 Browning machine guns.
Secretary OF the Navy Frank
Knox has accepted Henry Fords Of
fer OF the use OF his gigantic River
Rouge plant 10 train machinists for
the naval expansion program.
Defense Production Coordinator
William s. Knudsen has asked auto
mobile manufacturers to pool pro
duction resources to build 10000
bomoers for the Army air corps
This order would be the first TO BE-
assembled in the projected assem-
bly, plant or plants.
The cost of construction Of the
assembly facilities and production
OF the first lot OF planes has been
estimated al $4,000, 100000. The new
Congress will be asked for the
money soon after 1t convenes in
January.
The new assembly facilities Will
be financed by the government and
operated by an aircraft manufac
tuTer They will probably be bull
near Detroit.
The Ford machinist training pro
gram will accommodate approx
mately 500 men and will cooperate
with the Navy apprentice school at
Norfolk, Va.
Tank and machine gun contracts
with Chrysler and General Motors
amount to s53.500 900 TO Chrysler
for tanks and S61,39s.S72 to General
Motors for machine guns.
The Chrysler contract. on a cost
plus fixed-fee basis, calls for the
new NJ Al tanks-a so mile per
6Cur Varfofn at,t a d,ir1 all vacant
developments It will be equipped
with 81 nm cannon and machine
guns for land action and anti-air-
craft defense.
The tanks will be built at . new
plant, which IS being erected In
Warren Township, at a cost OF
$20.Q00,000. II will be owned by the
government and operated by Chrys-
Ter. The contract calls for delivery
OF tie first three tanks next July
Production Of 100 tanks per month
IS anticipated in November and tu
continue at taat rate until the sum.
mer Of 1912, when the contract ex.
pires
he War Department will pay
S33,5O0 for each tank, plus the price
of tae engines.
The machine gun contract with
General Motors calls for production
of 20.004 of 80 CALDER "A flexible
machine guns. 5000 OF 30 caliber
NJ aircraft machine guns, 1895
OF the so caliber NJ fixed aircraft
machine guns. 1874 Of the 80
caliber NJ flexible aircraft guns
and 1855 Of the flexible, heavy
barreled 30 caliber machine guns
The 50 cali5er guns till be made
at General Motors plants IN Flint
and Dayton %. tie 80 calibers al
the Saginaw Mich, and Syracuse
y. y, factories
The contract specifies that the
production shall reach a rate o.
10000 annually for the so calibei
type, 1000 annually FOR the 81.
caliber M-2's. and 10000 annually
for the 81 caliber A-4s. All OF m.
80 caliber A-i's must le delivered
witlin IS months the 90 ca.ihe.
MS and tie 80 talibers within
II months.
The 80 caliber AIS Will cos
$667.53 each, the 30 CALDER NJ.
fixed aircraft. S6417l each. the -
caliber NJ flexible aircraft gun
$l.096.2s each. and the 50 calibe
NJ heavy barreled type sl,0943!