The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-24

These are flat steel barges with Q 10-foot draft--So shallow that they are almost impossible targets for submarines. Submarine tor- pedoes would pass right under heath them. Propelled by auto- mobile engines, these ships can be manufactured so rapidly that they are expected to be the miracle bridge across the Atlantic in de- fiance of Hitler submarines.
 Yet lt took the President weeks to persuade his Navy to build these ships!
 The inside story sounds like one of those Tt Can't Happen Here" plots - but 1t did. The men who actually designed the new sea barges were 6 young naval officer; Commander Ham Bryan, and a naval architect, w. 8. Burgess. But when they took their plan to the Navy, the admirals threw up their hands. So did the Maritime Commission.
 The hdmirals and the conn missloners both claimed that . flat.bottomed boat would turn over In heavy seas. Also they were opposed to the use of auto mobile engines, even though
 they could be manufactured as fast as Ford makes automobiles. There were Q dozen other objec- tons.
 But finally Commander Bryan took the plan to Roland Redmond, Q New York lawyer who married Sara Delano, & Roosevelt rela- tive. Redmond in turn took Bryan and Burgess to the White House. The President, who is something of an amateur naval designed, was immediately enthusiastic. He urged the Navy to try 1t out. The Presi- dent also asked John Hancock of Lehman Brothers to help raise some money.
 NAVY FINALLY o. KS IT
 So with Roosevelt's enco Irage- ment, plus the cooperation of Red- mond and Hancock who helped raise the money, plus Chrysler who helped make the motors, and Weaver Associates, naval archi- tects, the first model was con- structed. Then the Navy tried 1t out on a testing basin and fin- ally admitted the plan was feas- ible.
 By this time Secretary Knox and the Admirals began to see that Bryan and Burgess had some thing. Whereupon they pro- ceeded to take over the idea, lock, stock and barrel. Joseph W. Pow ell, an old Chicago friend of Frank Knox, who is now one of his assistants barged into the pie ture. Powell was once vice preSi- dent of the Bethlehem Shipbuild- ing company, and he brought in another ex-vice president of Beth lehem, E. B. Germain, now head of the Dunlop Tire & Rubber CO.
 Meanwhile Commander Bryan,
 the man who had originated this
 submarine proof ship, suddenly found himself euchred out of the
 navy. First he was retired,
 and then detailed to the office
 of the Secretary of the Navy,
 where he could help with the
 plans of his mystery ship. This
 meant that the Navy could get
 his services at retired pay in-
 stead of full pay.
 Since then, Commander Bryan, though almost ignored by Navy brasshats, has been working faith fully at Orange, Texas, to con- struct the first trans-Atlantic scow. At one time. just as the vessel was about to be launched, he and Burgess were even told to stay away from the shipyard. NO THANKS TO INVENTORS
 shortly after the vessel was launched. the Navy issued q very heavily larder press release, part of which read: 'srhe ship was con- .ceiyed by daring minds, and was carried to completion with the acc tive, Inslstent help of President Roosevelt"
 This yelled and highly remote reference was the only piece Of Naval credit given to Bryan and