Evening star., 1941-01-04

counter this threat, British haze
bought American cargo carriers
and hare taken OUer so Ouerdge
naual deStroyers. More recently
coUetouS attention has been di-
rected at about 250 ships OF for
eiqn registry noW tied up in
American ports.
b. the Associated Press.
The release of some cargo ships
and more old deStroyerS to besleged
Britain was reported under consid-
Grafton by persons high in defense
councils today as means OF spur
ring production under the Navy S
vast building program and Presi-
dent Roosevelt's new plan to con-
struct 200 merchant vessels.
Speaking privately, defense au-
thorities interested in this proposal
argued that the early transfer OF
additional existing tonnage TO meet
the Nazi air and submarine threat
to Britain's life line would i'm
press on the country the urgency
of the need for maximum efforts
in ship construction.
President Roosevelt has given no
indication that he was considering
such a move, however, and naval
officers continued divided over the
wisdom of placing additional de-
stroyerS under the British flag.
Cost to Exceed $500, 900 900.
Fifty United States destroyers
built in World War days were
turned over to Britain last year in
exchange for the right to lease air
and naval base sites in British col
onies in this hemisphere.
The new plan to build 200 addi-
tional cargo ships, to cost between
100000, 900 and $3.50 100000, was
announced by the President at his
press conference yesterday. But he
turned aside questions as to whether
this would aid Britain in any way
or result in the release of Amer
ican ships TO the British.
Yet the facts that it will take con-
siderable time to build the 100000
tons of new cargo carriers, and that
adminiStra ton officials view the next
three months as time of grave peril
for Britain, stirred avid speculation
as to possible further moves.
II L. S. Ships Now Inactive.
One of the possibilities mentioned
in unofficial discussion was that
some of II American ships now laid
up or temporarily inactive might be
turned over to Britain under the
lease-lend plan which the President
soon will submit TO the new Con-
greSS.
Another was that this Government
might take over some of 266 foreign
merchant ships tied up in American
ports to escape the war. either max
ing them available to Britain or
using them to replace American
tonnage lent or leased to the British.
Presumably. under such plan, the
United States would agree TO COM
pensate the countries whose vessels
were taken. either with money or
ships, after the war.
About the same time that the
President disclosed he was making
available s36.O0O00O of emergency
defense funds to build new ship
yards for merchant ship construc-
ton, officials made public figures
showing that the United States on
November l had an cean-going fleet
of 1173 ships with a tonnage of T.
2l89l3-many times larger than the
merchant feet at the start of the
World War.
Some Inactive Ships Are o. X.
OF the tonnage built up to Novem-
Der l, it was said, II ships were in
laidup or spot" fleets. Laidup ships
would require some reconditioning
for active service, but spot" fleet
ships. presently inactive. are in con-
dition for immediate operation.
Forty-four of the laid-up ships,
with carrying capacity of about
5000 tons each. are owned by the
Government and are scheduled to be
up for sale next Tuesday, and a
British bid on them is considered a
certainty. Ten other vessels are
currently being reconditioned for
charter to American ship services.
but this disposition could be
changed.
Among the foreign ships which
were tied up in United States ports
on December 81 were 81 Italian, 2
German, Belgian. 2 Chinese, Al
Danish, 81 Dutch, 3 Esthonian, 10
Finnish, Is French. l Icelandic,
Latvian. 81 Greek, l Lithuanian, so
Norwegian, Portuguese. Ruma-
nian, Spanish, II Swedish and 10
Yugoslavian.
New Ships to Be Standard.
Ships of countries occupied by
Germany have been mentioned most
frequently as possible subjects Of
action by this Government.
Mr.. Roosevelt said the 200 ships
to be built under the new program
would be one simple, standardized
type. Each will displace about $500
tons and cost ST 100000 to 1,75O,0OO.
He indicated they would be built
in new yards which will operate in
so far as possible merely as assembly
plants to put together pre-fabricated
parts and steel plates.