WARSHIP REPAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 April 1941, Page 5

WARSHIP REPAIRS

BRITISH NAVY GRANTED PRIORITY IN AMERICAN SHIPYARDS. MEASURES OF SECRECY SUGGESTED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, April 16. The Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, said damaged British warships brought to the United States for repairs were given priority over everything else in the navy’s ship-building yhrds.

“In future we hope to persuade the British not" to bring warships into our harbours in broad daylight and not to permit sailors to go ashore with the names of the vessels inscribed on their hatbands,” Colonel Knox said. "We want to conceal the ship’s name, how badly it is damaged and how long it will be here. We are out to help England. and for God’s sake let us help her.” Colonel Knox announced that the navy was preparing to send one officer and 35 marines to London to guard the American embassy. He indicated today that the navy planned to convoy forces sent to Greenland, and also disclosed that the transfer to the navy of part of the coastguard was under discussion. NEUTRALITY PATROLS. The "Daily News” Washington correspondent quotes unnamed senators as saying that United States warships and coastguard vessels are giving armed escort to munition-laden British merchantmen leaving Atlantic ports for the European battlefront, They said President Roosevelt was permitting the coastguard to accompany ships from Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York to a point where they were picked up by the navy neutrality patrol and thence escorted to a rendezvous arranged with the British Admiralty. 'The senators said that the. matter ’would be raised in the Senate on Friday. NO DISCUSSION WITH. EIRE. The Secretary of State, Mr Hull, stated that the Government had no intention of asking the Eire Government to grant the use of naval bases to Britain. He said there had been no discussion on the question .with Eire officials here. The Eire Defence Minister has been conferring with Mr Hull in an effort to purchase arms and supplies. Twenty-flve persons were arrested in New York when a crowd of 200 refused to obey a police order to disperse from in front of the German consulate. The demonstration was sponsored by a committee to free prisoners in Germany.