Evening star., 1941-02-23
Admiral Land Turns Red
At Mere Mention of Red Tope'
Hord-Hittine Officer
Directs Defense
Shipping Of U. S.
By the Associated Press.

The task of expediting overseas
movement of materials needed in
the national defense program has
been delegated to a hard-bolled
retired rear admiral who turns red
at the mere mention of red tape"
Officially he is Rear Admiral
Emory S. Land, U. S. N, retired,
but all Navy old-timers know him
as Jerry"
Because of his strategic position
as chairman of the Maritime Com
mission, President Roosevelt select
ed the 62-year- old, hard-hitting,
Colorado-born sailor and aviator to
coordinate this country's overseas
transportation in order to assure
maximum utilization of facilities.
His particular assignment is to as
sist the Office of Production Man.
agement in providing ships to bring
in defense materials such as tin,
rubber. bauxite and manganese,
Born in Canon City, Colo. Jam
uary 9, 1879. Admiral Land was
graduated from Annapolis with
scholastic and athletic honors. He
became an ensign in 1902 and has
been building ships most OF the
time since.
Won the Navy Cross.
During the World War he was on
duty with the Navy's Bureau OF
Construction and Repair and re-
ceived the Navy Cross for dis
tinguished service in the line OF his
profession in connection with the
design and construction OF subma-
rines and for work in the war zone"
He climaXed his career in the
Navy with four-year tour as chief
of the Bureau of Construction and
Repair. retiring in March. 1887.
His retirement. however, was short
lived. The following month, Mr..
Roosevelt. warning him that ITS
a headache. Jerry" appointed him
to the Maritime Commission. When
joseph P. Kennedy retired as chair
man to become Ambassador to
Great Britain he took over the
craftsmanship.
An active enemy of "red tape"
Admiral Land has carried on Wig
orously the commissions long
range program calling for con-
struction of so new high-speed mer-
chant ships annually for 10 years.
The program is well ahead OF
schedule.
Under Admiral Lands direction
the commission now is getting un-
der way a program calling for con-
struction of 200 emergency cargo
vessels. 1t is generally believed that
many of these will 60 to Great
Britain.
Walking Keeps Him Fit.
His vigor belying his age, Admiral |
Land works hard and plays equally |
hard. He's probably the towns
most strenuous walker, if not its
fastest. His stride reminds some |
of a football back about to hit the |
line. his feet assaulting the con-
crete with pistonlike force.
Walking keeps him slim and hard
as nails. He walks almost every
place-to his Office. back home, to
social functions. Friends tell OF |
Mrs. Land arriving alone for a
party. =, =,
TOO bad the admiral couldn't |
come" consoled friend.
"Oh, he's coming replied Mrs.
Land.
With almost incredible prompt
ness, he arrived, having walked |
from home 2 miles away while ms
wife took the car. It's even said |
that he walked home, too.
A rabid football fan, he occasional
" acts as head linesman at foot
ball games here. Spectators gen.
erallv don't realize that the fast
man with the chain is such |
a parsonage.
Gruff, Pugnacious, Peppery.
His on-the-job manner has been |
described as gruff, pugnacious and |
peppery. Actually, associates con-
tend, it's merely his way OF being
direct and getting work done. His
afterwork manner is something else
again, beaming ad pleasant.
He learned to fly at the age OF %
but admits his relative, Col. Charles
A. Lindbergh. is more apt at it.
I'm manifested at the stick" he
has remarked.
The wag who made the crack
about you must know him we'll to
dislike him" didn't have the ener-
getic little admiral in mind. People
who have been terrified by his tough
talk have become his warmest
friends.
While somewhat more subdued
than his informal conversation, his /.
formal speeches sometimes contain
colorful language. For example:
"At the risk of being rhetorical,
will ask a question. Where would |
this country be today if it did not |
have strong merchant marine?
where would our Navy |
be without that marchant marine. !
To both questions, answer, in a
Ill 1F !