Evening star., 1945-11-12
e.Lend Body Flottops, Returned by Britain,
7oHelp Bring Back 73O, 900 Men in December


Thirty "baby f1attops" that went
to Great Britain on lease-lend are
being turned back, and half Of them
win be used to carry troops home
from overseas, a War Department
transportation official disclosed TO-
day.
Two Of the ships, each with a
capacity OF nearly 1000 men, are
expected home this month. Others
are expected to be fitted out for
troop-carrying soon, according to
the Army official.
The ''baby flattops," which will
join other American escort carriers
now bringing men home. already
have been figured into the shipping
schedule which calls for the return
of approximately 100000 men from
Europe and the Pacific during De-
cember.
Third Home From Pacific.
These other developments in re-
deployment also were reported
today:
Pacific feet headquarters report
ed from Pearl Harbor that more
than one-third of the 2,500,00o de-
ployed In the Pacific last August
already have been returned to this
country.
Navy ships alone, according to
this report, brought home 440,715
servicemen in October and another
1dE 2CE rocrhad tho MO inland l,,r
ing the first 10 days Of November
The Navy reported IA vessels with
. capacity of 100000 passengers
either en- route or loading as of
November 10. OF. those, 63 ships
carrying $4,000 passengers are
scheduled to arrive at West Coast
ports before November II.
From LIE Harve, France, came the
report that 63,398 servicemen were
returned from this port of embarka-
tion during the first 10 days of
November.
Mass movement of China Burma
India veterans to the United States
started at Shanghai today with the
departure Of the attack transport
Hooking carrying 1,100 Army en-
listed men, so Army officers, 416
Navy enlisted men and SO naval Off
GERS, according to an Associated
Press report from China.
Eoads 1,400 Troops.
AS the Hooking departed, the
steamer Annabelle Lykes moved to
the dock and began loading 1,4oo
troops scheduled to leave in the next
two days. The AP dispatch said
many of the returning soldiers pro-
tested bitterly when several Shang-
hal civilians were put on the ships
passenger manifest. The soldiers
declared that every available berth
should be devoted to returning
veterans
The 18th Naval District headquar-
ters in San Francisco reported it
had approval from the Bureau of
Naval Personnel to transport home
ward bound Pacific veterans on a
volunteer basis to Atlantic and Gulf
Coast ports on ships headed east
ward through the Panama Canal.
The procedure, proposed by Ad-
miral Royal E. Ingersoll, Western
Sea Frontier commander, is intended
to prevent backlog of discharges
waiting transportation to the East
from Pacific ports, it was explained.
In the next two weeks, 1t was
announced. about 80 ships of de-
stroyer escort size or larger are
scheduled to leave the West Coast
for eastern ports. Admiral Inger-
soil proposed that incoming veterans
be given chance to volunteer for
transportation East aboard these
vessels.
Conversion Halt.
Army and War Shipping Admin
istration spokesmen agreed today
that transportation will be no
problem after the first of 1916.
They insisted conversion of more
cargo vessels to troops ships to aug
ment the present feet of 470 trans
ports and 800 combat type Navy
ships now doing transport work
would not speed the return of serv-
icemen and would result in a CO.
lossal waste of money.
Vice Admiral Emory S. Land
War Shipping Administrator, said
the demands of the military for
transportation are now being met
and NC more conversions of cargo
vessels to troop ships will be made
although they are available for
that purpose. ~
Admiral Land reported that two
monrhs and 1925 900 are required to
convert Victory-type cargo ship
He said that within the two months
the troops in Europe, with the ex-
ception of the occupation forces,
will be home and all ships then will
be employed to complete the Pa
cific job.
Maj. Gen. Charles P. Gross, Army
chief Of transportation, also pointed
to the early return of troops from
Europe and added that during April,
1916, the return of troops from the
Pacific will be virtually completed
unless overseas commanders re-
quest showdown because of the
embarrassment of too speedy de-
mobilization.
Gen. Gross contended that the
return program is running on sched-
ule and that an Army which took