Evening star., 1940-10-12
u. :. Will Send
7 Refugee Ships
To Far East
Liners Manhattan
And Washington
Being Made Ready
By GARNETT d. HORNER.

Secretary of State Hull said today
the liners Manhattan and Wash
ington are being made ready to 60 to
the Far East to help remove Ameri-
cans who have been warned to leave
in view of the abnormal situation
there.
Mr.. Hull said present plans are
to send the two big liners to the Or
lent as soon as overhauling is COM
pleted. He indicated these plans
would be changed only if reports
should show that demands for pas
sage did not greatly exceed the
capacity of vessels in scheduled serv-
ice in that area.
American citizens throughout
Japan, China and areas controlled
or menaced by Japanese forces were
advised earlier this week that they
should consider leaving the poten-
tial danger zones while transporta-
tion still was available. The advice
applied particularly to women and
children and men not detained by
urgent considerations.
Five Ships Available.
United States consuls were in
structed to report the response to
this advice, indicating the number
of Americans desiring to leave i'm
mediately.
Mr.. Hull said today he under
stood five passenger vessels now are
in the Far Eastern area, along with
some freighters which could carry
a limited number of passengers.
John M. Franklin, president of
the United States Lines which op-
crates the Washington and Man.
haitian. conferred with Maritime
Commission officials yesterday about
the plans for sending them to the
Far East and is scheduled to con-
tinue the conference Monday.
The Manhattan and Washington,
withdrawn from regular European
service at the outbreak of the war
were sent to Lisbon, Portugal. and
Galway, Ireland, to evacuate Ameri-
cans early last summer when spread
of the war intensified dangers of
living in Europe.
Meanwhile, it was revealed today
that exports of large quantities Of
machine tools to Russia and Soviet
charter of American tankers were ap-
proved soon after diplomatic talks
were undertaken to improve Russo
American relations
The conversations between Un-
dersecretary of State Welles and
Constantine Oumansky, Russian Am
bassador here, were begun last July
and resumed Monday amid specula-
ton on the possibility Of cooperative
action by the United States, Great
Britain and Russia to checkmate
Japans expansionist drive.
Huge Soviet orders for machine
tools were held up when the act re-
Quiring licenses for export of strate-
gic war materials went into effect
early last July. Licenses releasing
shipment Of large part of the Rus
sian orders were granted during the
first week in August, officials said
today.
Further Friction Removed.
Meanwhile, another point Of fric-
ton in relations with the Soviet
was removed by the Maritime Com
missions approval of charter by Rus
sia of number of American tankers.
Soviet officials were said to have
been seeking such approval unsuc-
cessfully for two years or more
There was no official comment on
significance of the fact that these
moves came so soon after institu-
ton of the Welles- -Oumansky talks.
The Governments action, how
ever, was in line with persistent
reports that this country and Great
Britain were seeking to eliminate
points of friction with Russia to
clear the way for some form of
parellel action opposing Japanese
efforts to gain dominance over all
East Asia. Russia has been q major
source of war supplies for China,
which this country also has encour-
aged with loans and supplies in her
resistance to Japan.
Ships Sold to Britain.
American material assistance to
Britain went forward, meanwhile,
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