the early days of our engagement together in this war may be 
      more perfectly carried out and in order, as a practical matter, 
      to avoid the prodigal use of manpower and shipping that would 
      result from pursuing any other course, I am directing the WSA, 
      under appropriate bareboat arrangements, to transfer to your 
      flag for temporary wartime duty during each of the suggested 
      next ten months a minimum of fifteen. I have futhermore suggested 
      to them that this be increased to twenty.
 
      
 
 
We have, as you know, been allocating to the British services 
      on a voyage-to-voyage basis large numbers of American controlled 
      ships. What I am now suggesting to you and what I am directing 
      the WSA to carry out will be in the nature of a substitution, 
      to the extent of the tonnage transferred, for the American tonnage 
      that has been usually employed in your war program. The details 
      of the arrangements we can properly leave to the national shipping 
      authorities for settlement through the Combined Shipping Adjustment 
      Board whose function it is to concert the employment of all merchant 
      vessels and will, in accordance with its usual practice, do so 
      in connection with these particular ships.