THE WHITE HOUSE                       
 
                            WASHINGTON                      
 
                           CONFIDNTIAL                      
 
                                                            
 
 
                 My Dear Lord Beaverbrook:                  
 
                                                            
 
 
The proposals contained in your letter of January 5 have received 
      intensive study and there are tabulated below the optimum estimates 
      for completion of six hundred and forty (648) of the six hundred 
      and forty-eight (6/8) vessels covered in your letter. 
 
                                                            
 
 
                       1942 1943 1944                       
 
                 Atlantic Tank Landing Craft 0 0            
 
                   BDE, U.K. Escort Ships 0 50              
 
             Shallow Draft Tank Landing Craft 110 190       
 
                  BAM, UK Mine Sweepers 0 56 24             
 
                   BPC, U.K. A/S Vessels 0 60               
 
                         Total 110 506 24                   
 
                                                            
 
 
I have directed that work commence on the construction of 
                    the above tabulated craft;              
 
                                                            
 
 
With respect to the eight (8) slower vessels for auxiliary 
      aircraft carriers to provide convoy air protection, the considered 
      opinion of those who have studied this project, in which I concur, 
      is that loss of the cargo carrying capacity is not warranted 
      by the results which vessels slower than 16-18 knots can produce 
                      as auxiliary carriers.                
 
                                                            
 
 
                      Very sincerely,                       
 
                          His Excellency                    
 
                         Lord Beaverbrook                   
 
                       Minister of Supplies                 
 
                         London, England                    
 
                                                            
 
 
Declassified By Deputy Archivist of the U.S., Feb. 9, 1972