Detroit evening times., 1943-08-28
Our Gift Of Ships

there is strong dissent within the United
States Navy from the policy Of aIlocating
neWlyconStIucted American merchant yes
sells to foreign registry.
It will be recalled that. carly in August
Of this year. Prime Minister Churchill re-
ported to Parliament on the transfer Of not
less than $50 American ships and perhaps
as many as POO to the British flag.
THE transfer TO our flag of 80 TO 200
ships" he said. has already begun and will
be spread over 10 months =. There is no
financial arrangement. The method We
work on is that we use all things to our
common advantage"
MR.. CHURCHILL supported this report with
4'l direct quotation from a letter sent him by
President Roosevelt SAYING
Il am directing the Var Shipping Administra-
ton. under appropriate bareboat arrangements. TO
number to your flag for temporary wartime duty,
during each of the suggested next 10 months, a
minimum of IL ships.
II have furthermore suggested to them that
this be increased to 90"
DOTH Mr. Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt made it
u clear that they had agreed upon this tranSac-
tion during the prime minister's visit to the United
States Immediately following the Japanese attack
at Pearl Harbor
And -beth-stressed- the agreement between
them that Britain's excess of -traned-matitime
personnel and our prepOnderance Of ship building
facilities made il necessary and wise transaction.
1t is not to be doubted that Mr. Churchill was
= quite correctin calling the transaction "a source
of keen satisfaction to the House and to the
country"
Mr.. Churchill unquestionably had the approval
of British naval and maritime authorities in max
ing the deal, and had probably consulted them.
HOWEVER, if it has been assumed that Mr..
Roosevelt likewise had consulted and had APP
prova from American naval and maritime authofi-
ties, that now appears to be very much in error.
For here is what the Army and Navy Jour
nal says about the matter IN an editorial IN It's
July 81, 1913 issue:
1T is matter of CONCERN to the navy and
should be TO the nation, that our government is
transferring Liberty ships 10 foreign registry.
Confirmed anew is the lesson that war re-
quires merchantmen for It's successful conduct.
Our fleets could not operate without trains made
up OF such vessels. Our troops could not be trans
ported and supplied, and our Allies could not be
munitOned and fed without them
Indeed, il is common knowledge that the war
would nave Deen lost had not our ShIpyardS,
/cOaNed, encouraged and inspired by our efficient
maritime commission, turned out Liberties in ever
increasing numbers. The President estimates that
deliveries will total over 19 million tons this year
and 2l million tons next year.
HTHEREFORE, the national interest demands
that the great fleet we have in being and
constructing shall not be WHITFIELD AWAY, but
shall be preserved for in time of peace in order
that our goods may be placed in markets COM
petitiye terms with those of other nations, and
held as reserve for employ ment in future wars.
1T follows that there is concern over the ac-
ton OF our government in transferring POO Liber-
ties of over two million deadweght tons to foreign
registry, even though it be under charter and we
retain title
THE reason advanced is that foreigners have
the men ready to operate them while we have not.
which is an \NARRANTED REFLECTION
upon the results of the training so satsfac-
ad hN fha