Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-10-10

the WORKOUT question, What
Willow Run is answering its
Production is gaining, day by
But the Hudson arsenal puzz'cr
is more complex
The navy maintains itS uSua.
silence. Hudson officials, while
hurt and shocked an The sudden
action, are likewise mum They
have a story 10 tell bar policy
seals their lips
FACTS FIRST TIME
The truth hes in the facts pre-
sented here for the first time. No
one in authority. either IN nav
circles or in the Hudson Motor
Car Co, will make himself re-
sponSible for these facts but
reliable sources within the auto
motive industry know them and
vouch for their authenticity.
First of all every one in the
automotive industry acknowledges
that Hudson took on a tough task
when il assumed responsibility
for the S26066,000 layout IN Cen
ter Line. The industry. in mass
production thinking. wants as
many operations under one roof
as possible 10 facilitate flow Of
materials and work
At the arsenal. this was almost
impossible. The architects laid
out Is buildings. Machining
might be- done in one of a half
dozen OF the buildings.
IT'S OWN SHOP, TOO
Each one Of the buildings was
Its own machine shop. II had 10
have its own supervisory staff,
tough task for Hudson with its
limited supervision.
Work required of the arsenal
was more diversified than in an
ordinary plant In only two of
the buildings were the Oerlikon
anti-aircraft guns made. The
others were devoted TO varied
ordnance items, many OF them
made on special order for the
navy and not adaptable to mass
production.
For instance, in one building,
the workers were making cata-
pault equipment for newly built
ships. The order might come in
for 5 or u. according TO the num-
Der of ships being fitted out.
Along would come a repair
order and the staff would be put
TO work on that. This diversity
of effort hampered a company
used to scheduling and mass pro-
duction.
Another obstacle in the way of
Hudson's operation OF the arsenal
was pointed out in the navy SUI
pervision. superimposed on Hud-
sons management. When the
arsenal was opened, Capt. A. s.
Wotherspoon. a tough seadog OF
the old school, was placed in COM
mand.
HE'S MAN OF ACTION
Capt. Wotherspoon was a man
OF action. He kept his finger on
production day and night. He
would prowl the buildings at all
hours and he made his personality
felt down the line.
Last May, Capt. Wotherspoon
was ordered TO sea duty. Capt.
Norman G. Gillette. another ord
nance expert and combat officer,
was assigned to the arsenal.
Capt. Gillette likes TO give
orders from the bridge" He
doesn't roam the plant at all
hours like Wotherspoon. In this
way, responsibility for produc-
ton was shifted back 10 the Hdd-
son staff, whether they knew
IL or not.
Whatever II was, the navy
bureau of ordnance became dis
satisfied. Fewer and fewer orders
were placed at the Center Line
plant. Men became idle but were
kept on in anticipation that the
old activity would be resumed
any day.
Charges of labor boarding were
whispered against Hudson, un-
justly. a spokesman said.
How could we know when
special orders would come
through 2" he walled. of we
released the men, they'd get
other jobs and we wouldn't get
them back. Then the navy
would ship in some orders and
want 10 know why we let the
men 60"