THE RED ENSIGN

Evening Star, Issue 24917, 15 July 1943, Page 5

THE RED ENSIGN

POST-WAR SHIPPING PLANS BRITAIN'S PLEDGE TO GALLANT OFFICERS AND MEN (Rec. noon,) RUGBY, July' 14. A declaration of British shipping policy was made by the Joint Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of War Transport, Mr Noel Baker, in the House of Commons debate on post-war shipping. . He said the action of the Government would be founded on three basic principles. First, Britain must continue to serve the world with a large and efficient mercantile marine; secondly, the Government would be prepared to collaborate with like-minded Governments in establishing conditions in which world shipping could bo efficiently, and economically carried on;, thirdly, efficiency included the best at-, tainaible conditions of employment for the officers and men now serving tho country so well. . This was the programme to which the Government was committed and the pledge by which ifc Was bound. Mr Baker added that the merchant navy had been' the target of Hitler's most vicious and most sustained attack, yet, despite unceasing conflict during 46 long months of war, there was not one case of a British crew objecting to any voyage on account of. danger. Already they had over 4,000 civil naval decorations. They played a major part in the invasion of Europe, just begun. " Under the lted Ensign a vast stream of stores and equipment has gone in recent weeks to North Africa. Large vessels have been converted into troopships,, and others converted to carry tanks and guns, and then loaded secretly at British ports and sailed direct to Sicily. Great passenger liners have been converted to carry assault parties.

" When we talk of the future of the merchant navy we must never forget these matters. If they had failed us we certainly should have gone down before the Nazis. For us the merchant navy is a vital, national interest, and will remain so in peace time as in war. To the officers and men we have made pledges which we are bound in Honour to carry out." It would be a disaster for the United. Nations to enter upon the post-war 1 period as rivals or opponents, he said. Together they could solve this gigantic programme.' Opposed none could solve it. The post-war prosperity of our fleets must depend on a great expansion in. international trade, and he believed that expansion was going to come about. If they changed the organisation of the shipping industry they would have to nationalise it properly by Act of Parliament. The Government was not now proposing it, and had not made-a de--cision. It would have to hand over the ships in a fixed period unless a newdecision was arrived at by Parliament. Immediately after the war they should need arrangements for joint control and the use of shipping of a very close kind. Collaboration among the United Nation* must be comparable with that they had in the war. The Government was determined to avoid the blunders committed after the last war. The United Nations had already committed themselves to the principle of collaboration, and agreed in control should be continued. Instructions for detailed plans to be prepared had been given and obeyed. A great deal of preparatory work had been done. The Government was resolved to play a leading part, and would be guided by its sense of heavy responsibility that it would be one of the shipping Powers and would ensure that • all i policies should serve' the interests of all traders and customers in the world.

Mr Baker added that the Merchant Navy's 'Training Board had drawn up a report on the entry training of boys. Education would be vocational, but not' purely. No boy would be debarred from any part of the training on financial grounds, and nothing would stand in the way ■of any suitable deck boy or rating becoming an officer.