Evening star., 1941-03-19
First Large Contract
Awarded by Army
For Plane Cannon
European War Lessons
Applied in Order FOR
Heavier Type of Gun

Defense officials said today that
observation of aerial warfare in
Europe prompted the War Depart
ments award yesterday of its first
large contract for manufacture of
aircraft cannon.
So far this heavier type of arma-
ment, developed in the current war,
has been used only in an expert
mental manner by the United States
Army. But it was pointed out that
award of a $7,255 900 contract for
construction and equipment of a
new aicraft cannon plant indicates
that the experimental stage has
been passed.
The contract went to the Num-
tions Manufacturing Corp, Pough-
keepSie, N. Y, subsidiary of Inter-
national Business Machines Corp.
Four million dollars is to be used
for machinery, tools and machine
tool equipment and the remainder
for cannon. The $4,OG0000 plant
expansion contract was part of a
total of $43,654, ,2O9 worth of con-
tracts awarded by the Army and
Navy yesterday for increasing manu-
featuring facilities.
Plant Site Committee Named,
Meanwhile, John D. Biggers has
advised the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee that the Office of
Production Management has ap-
f,0iyt
tee, with veto powers over loca-
ton Of new factories and defense
plants. Some members of both the
Senate and House have been pro-
testing centralization of defense in
dustries in a few localities.
Mr.. Biggers, who is director of
production for o. P. NJ, said that
the Secretaries of War and Navy
had agreed on appointment of fol-
lowing members of the committee:
Donald M. Nelson, director of pur-
chases, o. P. M; former Gov. Cliff
ford Townsend of Indiana, special
adviser on agricultural and labor
matters; Eli Oliver of Ohio, special
assistant on labor relations; E. F.
johnson of Michigan, chief, air.
craft, ordnance and tools branch of
the production division of the o. P.
NJ, and S. R. Fuller of New York
and Tennessee. chairman, Produc-
ton Planning Board, o. P. M.
Interference" Charged. =.
Charges that interference" by
defense officials and representatives
of the Agriculture Department had
increased the cost of land being
bought by the Army in several cases
were made yesterday by John j.
O'Brien, head of the War Depart
ment's real estate branch.
Testifying before the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee, Mr.. O'Brien
said that while the Army was try
ing to buy land for its Wilmington
un0 shell-loading plant and for a
new proving ground in Indiana,
representatives of the Defense Com
mission and Agriculture Depart
ment told farmers in the affected
areas they were entitled to increased
prices for their land to compensate
for disturbance and other damage.
The largest of the defense plant
expansion contracts awarded yes
terday for $4,000 900 was let by the
Navy to the Hudson Motorcar Co.,
Detroit, for construction, equip
ment and operation of a plant to
make machine guns, gun mount
parts, torpedo directors and torpedo
tubes.
Others included a s10,988, ,692
Army award to the Ford Motor
Co. for manufacturing parts for
heavy bombers at Ypsilanti, Mich,
and s6,875,000 to Fisher Body Divi-
sion, General Motors Corp, to ex-
pand its plant for manufacture of
bombing plane parts at Memphis,
Tenn.