U.S.A. AFFAIRS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 September 1943, Page 6

U.S.A. AFFAIRS

DISASTROUS EXPLOSION NEW YORK, September 19. Depth charges containing cordite equalling several block busters caused an explosion resulting m 24 deaths at the naval air station at Norfolk, Virginia. According to an eve-witness, the explosion and lire wrecked a hangar and eight wooden barracks, and badly damaged other hangars filled with aircraft. T-he depth charges were being trucked to a hangar for loading on to patrol planes when they caught fire.' CONTRACT FRAUD ALLEGED. WASHINGTON, September 17. Federal Grand Jury indicted, with five others. Representative James Curley, Democrat, who was formerly Governor of Massachusetts, and three times Mayor of Boston, on 21 charges of violation of a mail fraud statute in connection with the operation of an alleged Government war contract brokerage racket The indictment alleged the defendants fraudulently represented themselves as experienced consulting engineers with special facilities for obtaining | Government war contracts, and that, they collected retainers as high as 9,0(10 dollars, and signed contracts chari’ing eight per cent, on all war contracts obtained. The indictment also adds that the defendants formed a company known as the Engineers Group Incorporated, created a nculious advisory board, using names ot nationally-known industrialists and engineers, none of whom gave permission oi' were aware of their names being used. SHIPPING PRODUCTION RUGBY, September 17. The United States is now switching to building Victory instead . ot Liberty ships, said Rear-Admiral Leroy‘Vickery, Vice-Chairman oi the United States Maritime Commission, and Deputy Administrator ot the United States War Shipping Administration, in London. He said that America was gradually turning to higher grade shipping tonnage with greater carrying capacity and faster speed. He considered the production of vet another type of ship— Victory ships—would provide the United Nations with very important tonnage. “We feel we have pretty well got to the maximum of shipping production which at the moment is in the region of 1,750.000 tons dead weight monthly. We might, go to 1,800,000 tons, but now we arc going to concentrate more on higher grade tonnage with bigger carrying capacity. The shipping picture has been greatly improved and we can definitely say the time when the war could be lost through lack of shipping is past.” NAVAL EXPANSION WASHINGTON, Sept. 19. A United States Navy report releasing hitherto secret production records says that the United States Fleet has been expanded to “the greatest sea power on earth,” and is more than 13 times bigger than in 1940. Statistics included in the report show that the United States Navy, in spite of losses and transfers to the Allies, numbers 14,072 vessels, including 613 lighting ships, compared with 1076 vessels, including 383 warships.. in 1940. Moreover the Navy Air Force numbers 18,269 aeroplanes, after writing oft 6800 as lost or obsolete, compared with a total of 1744 in 1940, Claiming that “no other nanon has. ever accomplished a naval construction programme of comparative size.” the report points out that ability to build or rebuild on this scale gives the United States Navy a basic advantage over the fleets of all other countries.