WARSHIP TRANSFER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 89, 14 March 1941, Page 5

WARSHIP TRANSFER

AMERICAN PROPOSAL. MORE DESTROYERS. (United Press Association—Copyright) (9.0) WASHINGTON, Mar. 13. It is authoritatively stated that the United States plans to transfer 99 warships to Britain during 1941, including 17 over-age destroyers, 18 “mosquito” torpedoboats, 55 submarine-chasing patrol boats, and nine over-age submarines. It is understood the transfers will be timed so that only a short period will elapse before each ship is replaced by vessels at present under construction. The “mosquito” and patrol vessels will be transrerred first, since they can be replaced the soonest. Naval experts said the monthly construction cost in 1932 was under three million dollars. The department is non working toward a monthly rate exceeding a hundred million dollars. Without exception, every naval ship under construction will he completed ahead of schedule. The Ships Bureau lias acquired 161 commercial vessels, costing 86 million dollars, and has spent 76 millions in converting them to naval purposes. Plans are being made to rush President Roosevelt’s request of seven billion dollars through Congress. The Speaker of the House of Representatives said to-day that the Appropriation Bill will probably be ready for debate in the House on Monday and Tuesday and, he said, “we shall put everything else aside.” The Government has authorised the unlimited export of aviation petrol and lubricating oils to the British Empire. The Office of Production Management has asked the defence industries to call on Government employment agencies to find the “several million” additional workers who are needed for the rest of this year to carry out the arms programme. Reuter’s Washington correspondent says high officials report mat the United States Government will take over the responsibility for between 300 and 350 million dollars’ worth of British orders for munition supplies. The object is to reduce the call on dollar exchange.