Part 2 WWII 1945 US Navy Wrigley Chewing Gum 6-Page Contract Archive For Sale

Item Description Body

Item Overview

• Type: Complete 6-Page Original World War II U.S. Navy Procurement & Price Control Dossier

• Date Range: March 1945 – October 1945

• Issuing Authority: Navy Purchasing Office (Rush St. & LaSalle St. Branches, Chicago, IL)

• Primary Subject: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. (Official Contract Clearance & Pricing Audit)

• Contract Value: $619,000.00 (Totaling 24,760,000 Units)

Historical Significance & Narrative

This is an exceptional, museum-quality historical dossier consisting of 6 consecutive pages mapping out a massive $619,000.00 procurement contract (representing over 24.7 million individual units of chewing gum) handled by the Navy Purchasing Office during the final months of World War II and the immediate post-war wind-down.

During WWII, the U.S. military relied heavily on chewing gum as an essential ration component to keep troops focused, alert, and calm under pressure. This complete, multi-page clearance file pulls back the curtain on the massive financial, legal, and competitive logistics required to keep the global supply flowing.

Dossier Page-by-Page Highlights:

• Page 1 (Authority to Contract): The official requisition sheet detailing the primary order from the Chicago Navy Purchasing Office to the iconic Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. factory located at 3535 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago. It explicitly marks the massive supply for \"Resale, Ships Store stock\" to supply sailors deployed on warships.

• Page 2 (The Competitive offerding Justification): A rare, comprehensive look at the fractions-of-a-cent offers submitted by Wrigley’s historic candy competitors, detailing pricing from Frank H. Fleer Corp. (makers of Dubble Bubble), Peter Paul Inc. (makers of Mounds), Beech-Nut, and American Chicle. It also tracks the exact naval distribution hubs (San Francisco, Norfolk, San Diego, New York Navy Yards) where the cargo was directed.

• Page 3 (The Wartime Ledger & Synthetic Rubber Connection): Features an incredible financial audit showing that the military was also funding the Wrigley company for \"Rubber Development.\" This captures a critical home front crisis when the Japanese occupation cut off natural rubber supplies, forcing the government to use the chicle expertise of gum manufacturers to engineer synthetic rubber alternatives.

• Page 4 (The Price Control Audit): A meticulous breakdown evaluating the profit margins of Wrigley\'s standard pre-war brands (Spearmint, Juicy Fruit, Doublemint) versus their temporary wartime sugarless substitute (Orbit).

• Page 5 (The Legal Resolution & Shorthand Notes): Captures raw handwritten shorthand notes from a negotiation meeting detailing Wrigley\'s pushback on standard Price Analysis forms, resulting in the Navy forcing a protective \"Price Redetermination Downward Clause\" into the text to safeguard government funds post-V-J Day.

• Page 6 (Official WPB Price Analysis Sheet): The final formal contract clearance form from the LaSalle St. branch, stamped for \"THIS PROPOSAL $619,000.00\" and authorized by Captain W. C. Brown, USNR, by direction of the Secretary of the Navy and the War Production Board.

Condition Report

• Condition: Good Vintage Condition.

• All six pages feature uniform, authentic age-toning, historic storage fold lines, and intact corners.

• All typewritten data, ink signatures, and office clearance stamps are completely bold, legible, and crisp.

• Please review all high-resolution listing photos to inspect complete edge-to-edge condition details.

Condition Report

• Condition: Good Vintage Condition.

• All six pages feature uniform, authentic age-toning, historic storage fold lines, and intact corners.

• All typewritten data, ink signatures, and office clearance stamps are completely bold, legible, and crisp.

• Please review all high-resolution listing photos to inspect complete edge-to-edge condition details.