NAVAL AND AIR BASES

Evening Star, Issue 23657, 17 August 1940, Page 12

NAVAL AND AIR BASES

POSSIBLE TRANSFER TO AMERICA DEFENCE OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE CONVERSATIONS WITH BRITAIN Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright WASHINGTON, August 16. (Received August 17, at 9.2.5 a.m.) President Roosevelt, at a Press conference, stated: “ The United States Government is holding conversations with the British Government regarding the acquisition of naval and air bases for the defence of the Western Hemisphere, and especially Panama Canal. The United States Government is also carrying on conversations with the Canadian Government on the defence of the Western Hemisphere.” President Roosevelt explained that the negotiations with Canada were separate from those with London. Ho cautioned reporters repeatedly not to tie up his statement with speculqtion on the release of United States destroyers to Britain. He said the negotiations for bases were not related to the question of selling 50 destroyers to Britain, though he said the negotiations were on a quid pro quo basis. President Roosevelt refused to elucidate further. He cautioned reporters not to make assumptions, bub before the conference it was widely speculated that the United States would acquire bases in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad, and other islands strategically important for Panama.

President Roosevelt clearly indicated that he was personally'supervising the negotiations, but steadfastly refused to permit the destroyer question to be drawn into the discussion, simply saying that destroyers were not involved in the present negotiations. He declined to express an opinion on the legality of the sale or transfer of destroyers to Britain.

AMERICAN GARRISONS WITHDRAWAL FROM CHINA DEMANDED BY JAPANESE NEWSPAPER TOKIO, August 16. The ‘ Hochi Shitnbun ’ demanded the immediate withdrawal of United States garrisons from China. “If the United States bakes over British patrol rights in China it will be sowing seeds of future trouble. Japan must watch the United States with a stern attitude.” ABSURD ENEMY CLAIMS MORE NAVAL SHIPS SUNK THAN BRITAIN POSSESSES {British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August IC. (Received August 17, at 10.10 a.m.) According to German and Italian propaganda the British Fleet, compared with its strength at the beginning of the war consists of only 30 destroyers and six submarines. The remainder of the British Navy, even after making generous allowance for vessels claimed to have been “ seriously damaged,” not only has ceased to exist but has become a minus quantity. Thus the enemy claims to have “ sunk or seriously damaged ” 17 more battleships than Britain actually possessed at the outbreak of war, three more aircraft carriers, and 21 more cruisers. In fact, the enemy has succeeded in sinking one battleship, two aircraft carriers, three cruisers, 28 destroyers, and 13 submarines. The enemy claims relating to mercantile losses are equally moderate. According to a German and Italian official communique 5,780,038 tons of “ shipping belonging to the Allies or useful to the Allies ” had been sunk between the outbreak of war and August 4. This is just over twice the aggregate tonnage actually lost through enemy action. Up to August 4 1,340,004 tons of British shipping losses, 436,633 Allied and 738,162 neutral were sunk by enemy action. } This loss has been more than made up by captures from the enemy, new building and excluding Danish and French ships, flag transfers. At the outbreak of war the British Empire merchant fleets consisted of 18,500,000 tons of seagoing shipping, and Allied | tonnage amounted to between 6,000,000 (and 7,000,000 tons. (