AMERICAN TRANSPORT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 248, 27 July 1940, Page 5

AMERICAN TRANSPORT.

CHILDREN FROM BRITAIN.

SHIPS PERMITTED TO GO. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) WASHINGTON, July 26. The House Foreign Committee unanimously approved the Bill to authorise American ships to evacuate refugee children from the European war zone. President Roosevelt said that the United States may ask belligerents for assurances of safe conduct if American ships go to Britain to evacuate children. President Roosevelt said that the Government had not yet arrived at the point of asking for 7 such assurances. He added that it was eager to do all in its power to aid the removal of children from the Avar zones, but to attempt to withdraw them in American flag ships would he to assume a terrific responsibility unless positive assurances were given that the ships would enter and leave British ports without being torpedoed or bombed. The next step would probably be to ask the British what vessels could be placed at the disposal of the evacuation committees. Mr Bloom announced that the Foreign Committee’s approval, which was given shortly after Mr Roosevelt’s statement, provides that ships he unarmed and unconvoyed, clearly designated refugeo ships, with safe conduct guaranteed by all the belligerents'.