“BRIDGE OF SHIPS"

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 22 May 1941, Page 5

“BRIDGE OF SHIPS"

BILLS APPROVED BY US. CONGRESS IMPROVED SITUATION IN THE ATLANTIC j [U.P.A.-By Electric Telegraph-Copyright] Washington, May 21. | Congress has approved two fari reaching shipping Bills as part of the “Bridge of Ships to Britain” programme. The Senate approved 1 a Bill authorising the acquisition of 50 new naval auxiliaries at a cost of 300,000,000 dollars. The I House passed a Bill giving the 1 Government broad powers to regulate the use of United States merchantmen, virtually making them part of the 2,000,000-ton shipping pool to aid Britain. The United Press states that a wellinformed source indicated to-day that Britain was concentrating her sea power in the north Atlantic at the expense of other seas, thus explaining the relative safety of American supplies to Britain. The same source said that Britain was far from content about the security of the seas generally, though the situation in the north Atlantic was much improved. The Maritime Commission has requested the newspapers, Press services, radio and other sources of public information to effect a voluntary censorship on the news of the movements of United States ships aiding the democracies. NEUTRAL DAKAR ESSENTIAL At his Press conference in Washington yesterday President Roosevelt said he considered it essential to United States interests that the French West African port of Dakar should not fall into Nazi hands. CIVIL DEFENCE ORGANISATION President Roosevelt has created an Office of Civilian Defence in order to mobilise the full power of United States civilians for home defence. At a Press conference to-day, Mr Roosevelt said this Office of Civilian Defence would operate in two divisions. The first would be a board of civilian protection which would draw up defence measures for civilians and would try to provide adequate protection for lives and property in the event o' 1 an emergency. Mr F. La Guardia, Mayor of New York, has been appointed chairman of this board, which will alro include representatives of the War, Navy and Justice Departments. Mr La Guardia is also chairman of the second Board of Civil Defence which is a volunteer participation committee that will have a membership of anything up to 20 people representing the various regions and interests of the nation. The administration of this new office will be carried out in nine United States cities corresponding to the nine corps areas of the Army. Many details of tho scheme have yet to be announced, but in general it is believed to resemble the British plan of civilian defence. SHIPBUILDING STRIKE SETTLED New York, May 21. t The shipbuilding strike at Lorain, • where 1000 workmen struck, has been l settled, enabling a resumption of work on 10,000,000 dollars’ worth of defence orders.