Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-27
BY FRED H. MORHART, JR.

dies looking tot1drd Development
OF sites.
BY FRED H. MORHART, JR.
Secretary of Navy Knox an
nounced today that President Roose-
welt had allotted $50 ,000, 900 for i'm
mediate construction work on eight
naval and air base sites acquired
from Great Britain in exchange for
so average American destroyers.
Secretary Knox also said he had
notified an additional 31,908 Naval
and Marine Reserve officers and
men that they should prepare them
selves to be ready for call to active
duty at any moment. He added
that additional divisions of Organ
lied Naval Reserves were being
called to service from New York and
New Jersey for duty with destroyers
operating in the vicinity of the
Panama Canal.
Secretary Knox said the 50,000,-
900, which represents half the
blank check" voted to Mr.. Roose-
welt by Congress for him to use for
defense purposes at his discretion.
would provide for construction of
complete bases, including fuel
dumps, barracks, anchorages and
repair shops.
New Naval District Likely.
He said a new naval district
probably would be created just for
these bases, and intimated that Rear
Admiral John w. Greenslade was
being considered as commandant.
Admiral Greenslade is chairman Of
the Navy board which selected the
sites on the British possessions.
Mr.. Knox told his press confer
ence that a site in Trinidad has
been selected and full approval given
by the local authorities. However,
he said, final approval has not yet
come through from London. He
said the site selected Is located to
the left of the main entrance to
the harbor at Port of Spain ..
Agreement with all interested
British authorities. on the location
of the other base sites had been
announced previously. Those are in
Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica,
Antigua, st. Lucia, British Guiana
and Newfoundland.
Could Be Used Now If Needed.
Mr.. Knox repeated that in case
of an emergency the locations Sc
lected could be used now. He said
surveys still were in progress and
that he had no actual breakdown
on individual costs of construction
on the bases.
When completed, the bases will
have full facilities for servicing
ships of the fleet, as well as air
planes, Mr.. Knox emphasized. He
said plane facilities will be installed
either on the actual site of the bases
or nearby.
Work on the base on Placentia
Bay in Newfoundland is under way,
he reported. Preliminary test bor-
ings have been made and a supply
ship is standing by with building
material.
Secretary Knox said that as soon
as his Office work permits he will
visit the base sites. He also re-
vealed he will join the Atlantic Pa
troll Squadron to view maneuvers
next week in the Caribbean area. He
will leave Boiling Field in a Navy
transport for Jacksonville, Fla.
To Panama, Then to Puerto Rico.
With intermittent stops at Miami
and Key West, he will fly to Pam
anna, arriving December 5, to join
the fleet off Culebra to observe ma
neuvers.
He will spend either two or three
days with the fleet and then fly to
Puerto Rico to view new construc-
ton work under way. From Puerto
Rico he will fly to Guantanamo,
Cuba. major fleet outpost in the
Caribbean. He expects to return to
Washington December II. He will
be accompanied by his personal aide,
Capt. M. l.. Deyo, and friend, Raj
eigh Warner of Chicago.
The Nays notice to be ready for
active duty at any time was sent
to the reserve class known as the
volunteer naval and marine re-
serves. Similar stand by" orders
had been issued previously to two
other classes, the feet and the Or
ganized reserves, and many of their
members have been summoned to
duty.
Only one class. the merchant ma
rine reserve, remained today with
out a notification that it might be
called soon. Members OF this group,
at sea on merchant ships, may not
be called to active duty except in
event of United States involvement
in war.
Secretary Knox said that In CALI
ing the volunteer reserves every eff.
fSee NAUv page A.fC0