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but now Emmet is getting cold feet. It means moving the job over to Bldg. 42 and setting up a new organization and it looks like the factory management will be swamped with 5"/38's and turbines plus searchlight power plants, powder hoists, tank drives (we hope) and our regular business. So now they want $54,000 to accelerate our present contracts up to 35 per month from 20, plus all we can get of the new order using these new facilities only. So I met Whittier and Hammond and Ernie Shank and Schaaf and told them. "Whit" was full of dire foreboding as to what the Army would think of us for partially folding on them (we could handle about 250 additional to our present contracts instead of 750). Our howitzers have had a remarkable record on proof at Aberdeen - much better than the Arsenal product per reports and the Army would like us to make them all. The only other bidder on the last Invitation was National Forge & Ordnance and their price was $4325 to our $2600 approximately so the Army is headed for a good sticking if they have to split the next order. Evidently National Forge has been waiting for such an opening as this. When you see that sort of thing, you can have some sympathy for the Govt's desire to limit profits. I may be wrong about National Forge in this but it has all the earmarks of profiteering on a squeeze play. Condray may be in this one too as they now have an educational order, so that may give the Army some protection - for their sakes, I hope so. Shortly my National Defense assignment will peter out - 225-5/38's, destroyer turbines, power plants, 75 mm howitzers plus tank drives and our regular business will have Erie Works up to its neck and then some for the next three years.