Britain, US. Agree On Shipping, War Supplies For 1943

Northern Advocate, 18 December 1942, Page 4

Britain, US. Agree On Shipping, War Supplies For 1943

(8.0. W.) RUGBY. December 16. Joint arrangements for security and the greatest impact on the enemy in 1943 were described by the Minister for Production (Mr Oliver Lyttelton) in a statement in the House of Commons about his recent visit to Washington and the subjects which he discussed in the United States and this country.

The two programmes will substantially exceed 20,000,000 tons deadweight in 1543 (equivalent to about 14,000,000 tons gross register). This colossal tonnage was controlled by the United States before the war.

Secondly, utilisation of American shipping on British account to secure balanced quantities to make up for cur imports in 1943, maintenance of our armed forces abroad and essential supplies for the British Empire—in other words, shipping measures to secure maintenance of a total British contribution to the war.

(3) A combined programme for building escort vessels and allocation to the two navies. (4) We asked the United States to make a further allocation, as far as war contingencies permitted of finished munitions for the use of our ground forces. (5) We asked for an assurance that raw materials and components, for which we rely on the United States for part of our own production would be forthcoming.

Lastly, we arranged a definite allocation of aircraft of various types, including transport planes to build up the operational resources of the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm.

Supplement British Shipping

On all these matters, definite arrangements were reached regarding merchant shipping. The United States, subject to unforeseen war emergencies, agreed to supplement our own shipping resources and allot United States merchant shipping tonnage needed for a certain minimum import programme, and allocation based on the task of two navies has been initiated and the flow of raw materials secured under the general policy laid down by Mr Roosevelt. Nearly all the major supply items of ground equipment have been settled and rough calculations show that the assistance Britain should receive from the United States, both in materials and equipment, would enable Britain to achieve an effective increase of as much as one-third of the effort otherwise attainable. The United States would make to the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm large monthly deliveries of aircraft of all types, so as to balance the striking power of the two air forces. The allocation of aircraft in 1943 was substantially higher than any figure previously discussed. The object of all these arrangements was to secure a maximum impact on the enemy during 1943, and enable production and allocation of manpower to be settled in accordance with the capacities of the two countries.

Replying to a question Mr Lyttelton said the United States was discussing and working out a scheme for building a higher proportion ot faster merchant vessels, of which he. presumed Britain would get a proportion.