However, during Clapp's tenure the VR was already struggling to match new competition from road transport, as well as to remain profitable despite the legacy of a network of short, inefficient branch line s built in the late nineteenth century for reasons of political expediency rather than economic merit, challenges that were to bedevil Clapp's successors. The VR only turned a profit in two of the nearly twenty years that he was at its helm. In May 1939, with the outbreak of World War II imminent, Clapp was seconded by then Prime Minister Robert Menzies to become general manager of the Aircraft Construction Branch of the Commonwealth Department of Supply and Development, overseeing the construction of Bristol Beaufort bombers in Australia. He was made chairman of the new Aircraft Production Commission in March next year.
However, during Clapp's tenure the VR was already struggling to match new competition from road transport, as well as to remain profitable despite the legacy of a network of short, inefficient branch line s built in the late nineteenth century for reasons of political expediency rather than economic merit, challenges that were to bedevil Clapp's successors.
advmod
however
However
ADV
RB
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
case
during
during
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Number=Sing
Clapp
Clapp
PROPN
NNP
case
's
's
PART
POS
obl
Number=Sing
tenure
tenure
NOUN
NN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
VR
VR
PROPN
NNP
aux
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
was
AUX
VBD
advmod
already
already
ADV
RB
root
Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part
struggle
struggling
VERB
VBG
mark
to
to
PART
TO
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
match
match
VERB
VB
amod
Degree=Pos
new
new
ADJ
JJ
obj
Number=Sing
competition
competition
NOUN
NN
case
from
from
ADP
IN
compound
Number=Sing
road
road
NOUN
NN
obl
Number=Sing
transport
transport
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
cc
as
as
ADV
RB
fixed
Degree=Pos
well
well
ADV
RB
fixed
as
as
ADP
IN
mark
to
to
PART
TO
conj
VerbForm=Inf
remain
remain
VERB
VB
xcomp
Degree=Pos
profitable
profitable
ADJ
JJ
case
despite
despite
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
legacy
legacy
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
nmod
Number=Sing
network
network
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
short
short
ADJ
JJ
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
amod
Degree=Pos
inefficient
inefficient
ADJ
JJ
compound
Number=Sing
branch
branch
NOUN
NN
nmod
Number=Sing
line
line
NOUN
NN
case
Typo=Yes
's
s
PART
POS
acl
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part
build
built
VERB
VBN
case
in
in
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
late
late
ADJ
JJ
amod
Degree=Pos
nineteenth
nineteenth
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Sing
century
century
NOUN
NN
case
for
for
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Plur
reason
reasons
NOUN
NNS
case
of
of
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
political
political
ADJ
JJ
nmod
Number=Sing
expediency
expediency
NOUN
NN
cc
rather
rather
ADV
RB
fixed
than
than
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
economic
economic
ADJ
JJ
conj
Number=Sing
merit
merit
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
appos
Number=Plur
challenge
challenges
NOUN
NNS
nsubj
PronType=Rel
that
that
PRON
WDT
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
were
AUX
VBD
mark
to
to
PART
TO
acl:relcl
VerbForm=Inf
bedevil
bedevil
VERB
VB
nmod:poss
Number=Sing
Clapp
Clapp
PROPN
NNP
case
's
's
PART
POS
obj
Number=Plur
successor
successors
NOUN
NNS
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
The VR only turned a profit in two of the nearly twenty years that he was at its helm.
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
The
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
VR
VR
PROPN
NNP
advmod
only
only
ADV
RB
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
turn
turned
VERB
VBD
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
profit
profit
NOUN
NN
case
in
in
ADP
IN
obl
NumForm=Word|NumType=Card
two
two
NUM
CD
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
advmod
nearly
nearly
ADV
RB
nummod
NumForm=Word|NumType=Card
twenty
twenty
NUM
CD
nmod
Number=Plur
year
years
NOUN
NNS
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
he
he
PRON
PRP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
was
AUX
VBD
case
at
at
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
its
its
PRON
PRP$
acl:relcl
Number=Sing
helm
helm
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
In May 1939, with the outbreak of World War II imminent, Clapp was seconded by then Prime Minister Robert Menzies to become general manager of the Aircraft Construction Branch of the Commonwealth Department of Supply and Development, overseeing the construction of Bristol Beaufort bombers in Australia.
case
in
In
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
May
May
PROPN
NNP
nummod
NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card
1939
1939
NUM
CD
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
case
with
with
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
outbreak
outbreak
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
compound
Number=Sing
World
World
PROPN
NNP
nmod
Number=Sing
War
War
PROPN
NNP
dep
NumForm=Roman|NumType=Card
II
II
NUM
CD
amod
Degree=Pos
imminent
imminent
ADJ
JJ
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj:pass
Number=Sing
Clapp
Clapp
PROPN
NNP
aux:pass
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
was
AUX
VBD
root
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass
second
seconded
VERB
VBN
case
by
by
ADP
IN
advmod
PronType=Dem
then
then
ADV
RB
amod
Degree=Pos
Prime
Prime
ADJ
NNP
obl:agent
Number=Sing
Minister
Minister
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Robert
Robert
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Menzies
Menzies
PROPN
NNP
mark
to
to
PART
TO
advcl
VerbForm=Inf
become
become
VERB
VB
amod
Degree=Pos
general
general
ADJ
JJ
xcomp
Number=Sing
manager
manager
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
compound
Number=Sing
aircraft
Aircraft
PROPN
NNP
compound
Number=Sing
Construction
Construction
PROPN
NNP
nmod
Number=Sing
branch
Branch
PROPN
NNP
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
compound
Number=Sing
Commonwealth
Commonwealth
PROPN
NNP
nmod
Number=Sing
Department
Department
PROPN
NNP
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
Supply
Supply
PROPN
NNP
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Number=Sing
Development
Development
PROPN
NNP
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
advcl
VerbForm=Ger
oversee
overseeing
VERB
VBG
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
construction
construction
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
compound
Number=Sing
Bristol
Bristol
PROPN
NNP
compound
Number=Sing
Beaufort
Beaufort
PROPN
NNP
nmod
Number=Plur
bomber
bombers
NOUN
NNS
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
Australia
Australia
PROPN
NNP
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
He was made chairman of the new Aircraft Production Commission in March next year.
nsubj:pass
Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
he
He
PRON
PRP
aux:pass
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
was
AUX
VBD
root
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass
make
made
VERB
VBN
xcomp
Number=Sing
chairman
chairman
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
new
new
ADJ
JJ
compound
Number=Sing
aircraft
Aircraft
PROPN
NNP
compound
Number=Sing
Production
Production
PROPN
NNP
nmod
Number=Sing
Commission
Commission
PROPN
NNP
case
in
in
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
March
March
PROPN
NNP
amod
Degree=Pos
next
next
ADJ
JJ
obl:tmod
Number=Sing
year
year
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.