Evening star., 1941-05-08
Only Reported
Sinkiings Listed,
Land Stresses
Senators Told Loss
Of Ships From U. S.
Probably Greater
By ]. A. O'LEARY.

Rear Admiral Emory s. Land,
chairman of the Maritime Commits
sion, emphasized before the Senate
Commerce Committee today that he
based his statement on reported
sinkings and not on official informa-
ton from belligerents when he wrote
Senator Vandenberg. Republican, of
Michigan that only eight ships had
been sunk out of a total of 205 which
left United States ports for England
in the first three months of this
year.
After the committee had heard
him in executive session, Chairman
Bailey said:
The admiral stated his letter had
been misinterpreted. He was not
complaining of the press, but wished
emphasis placed on the fact that his
letter dealt with ships reported sunk
He suspected there were more, not
reported"
According to Chairman Bailey
and Senator Pepper, Democrat. of
Florida the admiral also concurred
in the estimate that recently the
overall shipping losses on the seven
seas has been at a rate of 100000
tons a week, or about 100000 tons
year.
Ship Seizure Bill DELAYED.
1t was emphasized that the over
all slnkings present an entirely diff
ferent picture from that suggested
yesterday by Senator Vandenberg,
when he disclosed figures in a letter
from Admiral Land on sinkings of
ships carrying lease-lend aid from
the United States to England.
Meanwhile, the committee put off
action until Monday on the alien
ship purchase bill. which passed the
House by substantial ma jority yes
terday.
A move began to take shape in
the Senate today in isolationist
sources, to amend the measure to
prohibit this Government from
transferring to England any of the
foreign ships that may be acquired
Even if such an amendment should
be adopted, the foreign ships now
IN American ports could be taken
over for use in American trade, and
existing American ships made avail
able for use by Great Britain in
keeping the lease-lend aid flowing.
Not From Official Sources.
Senator Bailey quoted Admiral
Land as explaining the figures he
gave Senator Vandenberg were not
from the official sources of other
countries, but from newspapers and
other available sources.
He was not going back on his re-
port" Senator Bailey added, but
said he would stand on it."
1t was indicated that one of the
factors to be considered in estimat-
ing the worldwide rate of shipping
losses recently is the probability
that there were great many sink
lngs In the Mediterranean during
the Balkan campaign.
AS he left the meeting Senator
Pepper insisted that the overall rate
OF sinkings since March l would
amount to 100000 tons for a year
If the rate continues, and that the
present rate of ship construction of
the United States and England COM
bined is 2500,0OO tons a year.
Hard to Reconcile Figures.
Senator Clark, Democrat, of Mis-
souri,, an opponent of the adminis-
tration's foreign policy, asserted
that Admiral Land stood by his fig
ures Of yesterday with regard to the
low rate OF sinkings of ships crossing
the Atlantic from this country to
Great Britain in recent months.
Senator Vandenberg said the ad-
miral had fewer doubts about the
figures on ships clearing from the
United States for Britain than about
other figures entering into the en-
tire picture and repeated that his
questions to the admiral related
only to possible loss of lease-lend
goods going from this country.
II am convinced" said Senator
Vandenberg. there has been no
substantial loss beyond the figures
reported in the letter"
Chairman Bailey said you can
hardly reconcile these low figures
with what you have been reading
and when you seek the reconcilia-
ton you find the Germans claim
ing more" than is shown from other
sources.
After Admiral Lands letter had
been made public yesterday, a Mari
time Commission official emphasized
that the figures applid only to out
bound ships, and asserted that
"sinkings have been much heavier
on westbound trips"
Nevertheless. Senator Taft, Re-
publican, of Ohio declared that the
information in the letter hits at
what has been the most popular
appeal for conveys and war" and
Senator Tobey, Republican, of New
Hampshire announced he would
offer an anti-convoy amendment
to the foreign ship acquisition bill.
Administration leaders, while
manifeStinp sllrnrise at the lou ner-