AS THIS TELEGRAM MUST BE CLOSELY PARAPHRASED BE- LONDON FORE BEING COMMUNICATED TO ANYONE. (SC) DATED DECEMBER 6, 1940 REC'D 9:10 A.M., 7TH SECRETARY OF STATE, WASHINGTON. 3984, DECEMBER 6, MIDNIGHT. STRICLTLY CONFIDENTIAL FOR THE SECRETARY AND THE UNDER SECRETARY AND FOR TRUITT MARITIME COMMISSION. MY 3965, DECEMBER 5TH. THE SHIPPING SITUATION IS LESS FAVORABLE THAN IT APPEARS ON THE SURFACE. VESSELS UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG AGGREGATED 17,750,000 TONS BEFORE THE WAR. ON OCTUBER 27 THE FIGURE WAS 17,639,000, AN APPARENT NET LOSS OF ONLY 111,000 GROSS TONS. THESE FIGURES DO NOT INDICATE THE TRUE POSITION, HOWEVER. NEWTRUAL VESSELS WHICH WORKED FOR BRITIAN IN THE LAST WAR EITHER ARE NOT AVAILABLE OR ARE INCLUDED IN THE FOREGOING FIGURES. MREOVER, 4,200,000 GORSS TONS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REPAIR. THIS MEANS THAT THE WORKING MERCHANT MARINE AT PRESENT CONSISTS OF 11, 739,000 GROSS TONSE. SOME OF THIS TONNAGE, HOWEVER, MUST WORK IN TRADES AWAY FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE TOTAL NOW AVAILABLE TO REFRADED UNCLASSIFIED |