The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-12-24

The inoessani hum OF war produc.
ton will cease Christmas day when
aircraft factories. shipyards. mum.
items plants and assembly lines
throughout the nation halt the Flow
Of the tools OF war 10 observe their
first holiday since Pearl Harbor
Some plants will remain open and
thousands OF war workers will stay
At their Jobs. but In general war In.
dustry will take the day of. The
fact that the holiday IA possible is
an Indication that the nations In
dustrlal might has built up a suiiic.
lent reserve Of many types OF war
materials.
The steel mills were the notable
exception, Plate mills were ordered
10 stay on the Job 10 keep pace
with pressing par orders, and
where continuous operations we're
necessary is In smelling and heat
treating work will continue.
But IN general plant officials
everywhere said they were trying
TO conform TO a War Production
Board suggestion that the holiday
be observed whenever production
directlves can be met.
On the West Coast airplane
plants and major shlpyards pre-.
pared for their first holiday since
war began.
Douglas. North American. Lock.
heed, and Northrop plane plans
and three Kaiser yards will close.
but will not observe New Years
day. The Kaiser yards were SEIZED.
uled to shift from q seven to a six
day week last week but worked
seven days to gain the Christmas
holiday.
At Seattle. the Boelng bomber
plants, the Puget Sound Navy Yard.
other shipyards and several war
plants will close Christmas and
Sunday. giving workers their first
double holiday OF the war
Other plants which will take
holiday at the expense OF a day off
last week included Glen. Martin Air
craft at Baltimore. Md. the L. S.
Ordnance plants at Des Moines, la.
and New Brighton. Mimi. and the
Rock Island. H., arsenal.
In the Southwest. North Amer.
can Aviation. Continental Motors
Southern Aircraft and Lockheed al
Dallas. Texas, Brown Shipyard At
Houston. the Douglas and Air Depot
plants at Oklahoma city and all ma.
jor plants at Kansas City will be
idle.
In nldwestern cities. Northern
Pump Co, at Minneapolis the Ord
nance plant at Burlington. Iowa.
and the Martln.Nebrasks bomber
plant at Lincoln, Neb.. will close.
the latter two observing the years
only holiday.
Al St. Louis, where slmott all
plants were reported ahead OF
schedules. $4,000 employees at the
Ordnance plant they will extend
their holiday over Friday. satur.
day and Sunday. Western Cartridge
at East Alton, Ill. will close Satur.
day and Sunday. and some depart.
ments Friday. too.
Du Pont ammunition plants at
hankakee and Elwood. ILL.,, an.
nounced their only holiday OF the
year. International Harvester,
with plants in the Midwest, an.
nounced its second, having OBJ.
served July 1.
Bethlehem -Sparrows Point steel
plant at Baltimore has complied
With 4 government request to main.
tain operations. Except for some
other steel mill operations. eastern
plants will close.
At Rutfslo. n. y. aircraft and
heavy machinery plants will close
Christmas. Bethlehem Steel Corp.
and Republic Steel Corp. an.
nounced they would operate open
hearth and blast furnaces. but op.
erations in the finishing mills will
be halted.
Civilian and service personnel at
the Washington Navy Yard and
torpedo factory will retain only
maintenance and protection crews.
The Army was uncertain about
Western Electric's Baltimore plant.
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