ARMING OF SHIPS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20635, 10 December 1941, Page 7

ARMING OF SHIPS

PLANS FOR CONVOYS LEND OR LEASE SUPPLIES (Reed. Dec. 9, 3 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 8. The United States Navy and Maritime Commission is ready to begin arming all merchantmen in the Pacific and start convoys to keep the lend-or-lease supplies flowing. Officials said that little appreciable change could be expected in the Pacific shipping operations. American merchantmen convoyed by the navy would blast a way through any Japanese offensive. The necessity for speeding the flow of strategic materials from Australia, the Indies and elsewhere in the Far East and replenishing the supplies to the American armed forces and the Pacific bases resulted in plans to induct many more merchantmen into the Asiatic Far Eastern trades. The German radio quoted a report from Tokio that Japanese warships had captured seven United States merchantmen in the Pacific. The Japanese High Command announced that the United States mine-carrier Penguin and four United States cargo ships had been sunk off Guam.

The New York Times’ Washington correspondent says that United States warships are expected to operate out of Singapore as soon as possible, protecting vital rubber shipments necessary to the American war programme. Further detailed discussions will soon take place between the A.B.C.D. Powers to devise a total scheme of limiting the activities of the Japanese fleet. Immediate steps will be taken to meet the increased menace to the Burma Road. AIRWAYS SERVICES (Reed. Dec. 9, 3 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 8. Pan-American airways have ordered that all information concerning the movements of their Pacific planes be withheld. Decision as to the maintenance of the Pan-American Pacific flights rest with the War and Navy Departments.