AMERICAN SHIPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1941, Page 5

AMERICAN SHIPS

ACQUISITION & TRANSFER TO BRITAIN COLONEL KNOX ON NAVAL EXPANSION. CONSTRUCTION WELL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) ■ WASHINGTON, April 17. The Maritime Commission announced the acquisition of four American cargo ships for immediate transfer to Britain. These ships will sail under the British flag and will be manned by British officers and crews.

The Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, told a Senatorial committee investigating defence that 128,000,000 dollars’ worth of naval material had been shipped to Britain by April 14. He added that plans were completed to deliver an additional 272,000,000 dollars' worth. "We are daily issuing existing stocks to Britain in accordance with the Lease and Lend provisions,” he said.

In a speech to a conference of United Service organisations, Mr William L. Batt, Deputy-Director of Defence Production, said that the 7,000,-000,000-dollar war aid fund was just the start of help that the United States would eventually have to furnish Britain. He issued a warning that the “honeymoon is over,” and summoned the nation to awaken to the. seriousness of the task that confronts it.

Speaking of the two-ocean navy programme. Colonel Knox told the Senate Committee that a general analysis of the position warranted optimism. Practically every vessel under construction was ahead of schedule and deliveries were being made several months ahead of contract. There were more than 2,000.000 tons of combatant shipping under construction, compared with 800,000 tons last July.

“We shall not fail to have a twoocean navy ready at the earliest possible moment,” said Colonel Knox. “That is the first and only military objective of the navy’s programme.”

Plans for the defence of the eastern and western coasts of Canada and the United States have been completed. This was announced after a meeting in Montreal of the Canadian-United States Joint Defence Board, which in future will be responsible for keeping the plans up to date. Officials of the Newfoundland Government were present at one session of the board.