NAVAL CONSTRUCTION

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1939, Page 5

NAVAL CONSTRUCTION

AID FOR SOUTH AMERICANS. [by CABLE —PRESS ASSN. COPYRIGHT.] WASHINGTON, March 11. Senator K. Pittman, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced that he was asking Congress to authorise the South American countries to build warships in United States Government yards, “at the lowest competitive prices.” This, following the treaty with Brazil announced on March 9, emphasises the American Government’s determination to counter totalitarian infiltration in South America. Since the United States declined to sell old warships to Brazil in 1936, Germany and Italy have carried out bulk ship construction for Latin America. It is reported that Brazil plans to strengthen her defences as well as her trade policy in line with Mr. Roosevelt’s programme of co-operation in the western hemisphere. Mi-. Roosevelt indicated that he favours double-locking the Panama canal through Nicaragua, at a cost of 720,000,000 dollars. The new locks will allow the transit of the 40.000-ton battleships which the navy contemplates building.

BRITISH PERSONNEL. RUGBY, March 11. The Admiralty is taking immediate steps to avoid any shortage in executive officers consequent on the present rapid expansion of the fleet. A number of selected warrant officers will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Additional officers in the Royal Naval Reserve, 250 of whom have already passed into the navy, will also be transferred, and in addition young officers of the merchant navy who are found suitable will be entered irrespective of the fact that_they have no Roval Naval Reserve, this is a nev> departure. Temporary employment in the fleet for three years will also be offered suitable officers of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve anad members of the Royal Navy Volunteer Supplementary Reserve.