The Wilmington morning star., 1943-12-11
Inside
Washington
BY HELEN FSSApy

and its spirit.
saw labor and capital WORKS..
together. Planning. hammer
straining, lifting. I saw the h.s
OF the American democracy .Ss'
is not fighting, striking its ,ns.
blows for freedom l saw and on.
again was proud that l am ~
American. ~
Not in Washington did | S..
these things. You have to ~,
away from the capita! whose ~,
industry Is the msnufac,nr.
words and contracts INTO the swo. y
Ing workshops of America nv sag o
der to begin to Know tbo n,a W.
try of which you are a par, t0aa'
l went hot far from Wasbn,
ton, to Baltimore, Md. 10 ' t%.
bethlehe-n-Fa irfield shipyards' e
i ASSIST az a launching The Beth.
lehem-Falrfleld is managed b~ I"I'
M. Willis. It's Patapsho ri " y.
n n the Bethlehen-Sparrow,
iolnt yard. is managed b. Frons
A. Hodge. Both Yards arc ''' Il,
course section Ct the nagriE ~
cent shipbuildins Industry dirs s,,ls,,
by Rear Admiral Emory So t'1a
Land chairman Of the maritin,a
commission, and his assis ,'''iS
near AcmlEal Howard S. VicEerr
Our Ship was a Liberty '~s sbis
olg and handsome in its Nav yeI'
low paint. Across its decls yer yer
along its SIDES were draped manu- anu
nags to celebrate the iauncbinc
We saw the sun gnrting on ' ts.
Stars and Stripes log before WIZ
reached the snip and knew that
sudden Lift of splri that the sigIt
OF the national emblem gives e es.
| Pecldlly III wartime
When Our car turned off tbs
man road into the shjpvard va
were suddenly III tie SWEATING foil.
ing America come t. vigorous Ne
in the national emergency II we
about p m. the yard-as larof
as a village--was teeming viii
Workmen and workwomen goiog n
and from their jobs as the shifts
changed.
About $4,000 employees are bujla.
ing ships at Fairfield. More than
10000 were then moving around
the yard. Twenty thousand work.
ers! The main roao was almost
solid with overaliea humanity Our
car had to turn into side path.
way in order to approach the
launching platform. 1t would have
been impossible to cut a way
through that river OF people.
In the group of cars were rep.
resentatives of the maritime com.
mission and officials OF the ship.
yard. These we're the planners.
Below tn launching platform were
the workers. The workers were
proceeding calmly no. bothering 10
look up. They had a stride and
a manner that said I'VE know
where we're going and what we
have to do when we get there.
This was world of ships and
shipmakers. There were ships in
all stages Of life. Our ship com.
plete and ready for launching. In.
born ships with their parts heapd
in piles. Ships one-third finished
Ships one-half finished. Ships that
must sail next week, next month
All this magic of creation would
be accomplished calmly, detennn-
eddy. Within a few DAYS the heap
ed up piles would be hammered
together into a beautiful pattern
This would be done without con-
fusion and with no lost notion
With work and with an organlza'
ton that moved every man 10 lis
task and every piece Of meta lilo
it's place like a living Kaleidoscope
AS soon as our ship was launch
ed we would be hurried oil lAe
launching platform SO that the keel
of the next ship scheduled Tor ulS
one of the Is ways could be laIl'
Not an instant would be wasted
Within one hour anu a nan l,ps
laying OF the new keel Tould w
completed The rate Of bulldas
here is % Liberty ships mon'A'
Our ship. now locking so ofass
and gay and capable, had oeso
only 20 days in the making liver
ty days! Less thar three "eeH.
ago this great vessel that was "
carry food ammunition, 1e ePs
guns, planes, locomotives 10 w.
fighting men and friends mao usss
lying in embryo waiting 10 cO5as
to life. Ten days from this w. ~.
it would be on its way across ~ ~
ocean carrying greatly neeD''
help. .,r,
A thrilling business TINS shy
building inoust1y as 1t rises
meet the call of the hour. ~ -" =,
Bethlehem Sparrow S POM y@..
and at other plants III the cou-. .-,
more and more stee! ana IRON w.
being hammered at that very Nv ",
ond into shape, responding " ri
urgency OF today's 1flgn''"
hour. tbt
What power!-Whai bralnS'-'
America has ready for use, III
thought. Already o ur shipya-a
have so increased their plosa
that we are producing more a,
than all of the rest of the wv" WI
put together. And we nave N,
begun to build. Just begun " " %,t