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St. L., Cliff and I had breakfast at the Carlton where we encountered Walt Harris, Gouldy and Spike down on the tank. We went to the office and contacted Horn and Blair, the former taking the tank boys and Blair taking us. Blair informed us we had come in vain - the conference was off because the new bill and FDR's executive order "clarifying it were so vague that Gov't didn't know how a contract could be negociated so they were calling things off and asking for bids. Blair was full of foreboding and it sounded like the whole job was about to blow up in our face. The Navy was disgusted with our tool requirements, etc. etc - might give us 3 and month and no tools and St.L. pointed out we couldn't even do that. So we all felt pretty low as we drove out to the Navy Yard.

But we came out of Ducey's office quite heartened. There were no recriminations about tool costs. Bids were being asked for and we could bid on 6 per month all right. The program was growing enormously and it looked like we would probably wind up with a full allotment - all we could handle before the smoke all blew away. St.L. got Ducey talking about fishing and that took a half hour - Ducey might even come up here to Erie for some fishing sometime off Long Point. This Capt. Ducey is a character - during our talk he picked up the phone and barked, "Joe, tell the old man I want the afternoon off - want to go fishin'." The "old man" is Admiral Furlong, and Ducey meant what he said. Permission was forthcoming shortly. Commander Spangel was there also - and we left the place quite cheered. Bids are due out in a day or so and