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Erie, Pa.,
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 1940.
I can begin to appreciate how Whitey felt when he first went in as manager and everyone, knowing a new man was on the job, descended on him at one time and he was snowed under. About the same thing exists with me now and my problem is to weather this storm - after that I'll sail out on smooth water I think. They're all after me for MO's, disposition of scrap material or material they think should be scrapped, publicity, design changes, cost belly-aches and on and on. Took a whirl at new standard loco specs today - see things that should be checked, maybe changed but in the midst of this production holocaust we can't at the moment change anything - the problem is how to get a breathing spell to study and change advisedly without interfering with locomotive production. In the last half hour of the day, we got orders for one 65 ton and two 45 ton units within fifteen minutes of each other, and all wanting rush shipment, priority, etc. etc. Shap had had time to digest the target car and was rather critical of the proposition we offered - had all sorts of alternative ideas he thought better but after patiently arguing and explaining, I managed to calm him down and make him see why we did most of it as we did. I suggested to Shap that I'd like to have Jake handle Army & Navy locos - Shap didn't agree it was right. Shap wants to handle Army, Navy and all locos pertaining to the Defense Program plus the mining locos! In other words he wants to hog most of it like he did before I went in there. The proper allocation of work is one of my big problems. Jake is wanted all over the east and southeast for the next ten