Evening star., 1942-07-23
Higgins, Angry, Seeks
Congressional Aid in
Shipyard Dispute
Maritime Heads Affirm
Contract Cancellation;
Senate, House to Act
By the Associated Press.

BY Inc Associated freSB.
Hopping mad over the Maritime
Commission refusal to alter its
decision cancelling his contract
for construction of 200 Liberty
ships, Andrew J. Higgins, New
Orleans boatbuilder, awaited to-
day a chance to tell the whole
story to Congress.
And when I'm ready to tell the
whole story Mr., Higgins declared
to newspapermen, Il assure you
gentlemen that it will not be a nice
one"
After hearing the shipbuilder yes
terday, the commission announced
refusal to rescind it's July 18 decision
which Cancelled the contract on the
ground that shipyards. either al
ready building vessels or soon to be
in production, need all available
steel.
There is ample steel for the entire
shipbuilding program and all the
yards operating and authorized, in
cluding mine" Mr.. Higgins said,
There is ample steel for all that
and more"
Planned Assembly Line.
The shipbuilders yard in a re-
claimed Louisiana swamp was not
completed when the contract was
Cancelled. He had planned to have an.
assembly construction process
with the ships passing down four
long channels instead of ways.
Mr.. Higgins asserted he was not
contract Immediately because he was
undecided whether now is the time
to cut my bridges behind me or
whether discretion is the better part
of valor''
He added. however, he intended
to talk with congressional groups in
terested in the case, including the
Senate Defense Investigating Com
mittee and House Merchant
Marine Subcommittee Mr. Higgins
also laid his case before President
Roosevelt's secretary, Marvin H.
Mcintyre
Meeting reporters late yesterday,
Mr.. Higgins challenged the state
ment that there was insufficient
steel and said he would like to
know whether the cancellation was
the result of "fumbling and bum
bling or whether "ulterior forces"
had been at work
Denies Excessive Costs.
The commission, he said, had
spoken of the cost of his yard as
excessive. He maintained there was
no basis for that statement and
that by his methods a ship would
be produced with 100000 less man
hours of labor than by conventional
methods. The wages saved on the
first $50 ships would pay for the
yard, he asserted. In addition the
yard was to have included repair
facilities for II vessels stimuli
taneously facilities that could be
reproduced with conventional dry
docks only at enormous cost
He had been informed he said.
, that a large plant of the Bethlehem
Steel Co which had been fabricat-
ing steel for his yard would be
closed down for four to five weeks
as result of the cancellation and
an immense amount of steel already
prepared would become the equiva-
lent of scrap.
IF this thing isn't corrected" he
Ic nj nf uyb, O
we have to pass through. we are
in a hell Of a fix: We are going
to win the war but we will have a
time doing it-with these admin
| istrations. And I don't mean the
national administration, because
he doesn't know the facts yet"
Sees "Other Factors" Involved.
The Maritime Commission ex-
planned in its order canceling Hig-
gins contract that his yard would
not reach maximum production until
| l943 and that the available steel
+ could be used to better advantage
by other yards already in full opera
ton. Mr Higgins voiced dissatis-
/ faction with this explanation. how
ever, and indicated he thought that
other factors were involved
! A Senate Defense Investigating
Committee headed by Senator Tru-
man of Missouri announced, mean
while that it would inquire into the
Higgins contract situation, the pro-
posal of Mr.. Higgins and Henry J.
Kaiser, shipbuilder of Portland
! Oreg., to construct giant cargo
| planes. and the availability of steel.
+ The steel hearings are to start
/ August g.
In the House, the Merchant
! Marine Committee. which named a
subcommittee to study the Higgins
situation, delegated a second sub
committee to look into the alleged
! shortage Of steel for shipbuilding. "
The group also was instructed to
study other relevant matters per
/ tinent to the proper prosecution of