Defense Files
The President to the Chairman of the United States Maritime Commission (Land)1
My Dear Admiral Land: I have given consideration to the merchant shipping required to be built in the United States in 1942 and 1943 if we are to attain superiority over the enemy.
The moving of men and munitions of war to the appropriate theaters of operation is one of the most vital necessities of our war program. Two things must be done.
[Page 344]- First, we must have a very substantial increase in our merchant ships for 1942 over and above the very large program which has already been laid out.
- Secondly, our 1943 program must exceed the 1942 program by at least two million tons.
You are therefore instructed and directed to build merchant ships in the calendar year 1942 to the extent of eight million dead weight tons and in 1943 to a minimum of ten million dead weight tons.
I wish to consider with you at the end of three months whether or not the necessities require the 1943 program to be increased still further.
I have issued appropriate instructions to the other Departments of the Government to provide the ship plate required to accomplish these objectives.
I know you will let nothing interfere with the accomplishment of this program. It must be carried out with the utmost urgency. I have every confidence that you will do this.
Very sincerely yours,
- The source text is the copy which Roosevelt sent to Stimson on January 3, 1942, with the following statement in the covering letter: “As part of this program I have approved the building of the 45 transport ships and at the same time am providing for a substantial increase in the number of cargo ships.”↩