Office of the Historian

J. C. S. Files

Memorandum by the Deputy War Shipping Administrator (Douglas) and the British Minister of War Transport (Leathers)1

secret
[Washington,] 23 May 1943.

Combined Statement Covering Dry Cargo Shipping Availabilities and Requirements

This statement commenting on the schedules of cargo shipping is divided into two parts. The first summarizes the estimates of requirements for dry cargo ships and the ships available for loading during the period 1 June 1943 to 1 January 1944; the second summarizes [Page 314] the estimated requirements and availables for the period 1 January 1944 through September 1944.

The Statement is divided in this manner because the method of determining the estimates during the last half of 1943 is quite different from the method employed for the nine months period in 1944. The first period, being closer to hand, is less liable to error than the second. Moreover, there are certain important still undetermined factors such, for example, as the ship construction program, that render estimates for the nine months period of 1944 subject to a more considerable variation.

1 june 1943–1 january 1944

Based upon the statement of estimated requirements and available dry cargo ships in paragraph 3, there appears to be a deficiency of 155 U.S. controlled ships available for loading during the period in question. This deficit, if properly spread, is not unmanageable.

1 january 1944–1 october 1944

There are at the moment so many undetermined factors in the estimates of requirements and availables for this period that further review of the position is necessary. It does not now, however, appear to present insurmountable difficulties.

Lewis W. Douglas
Leathers
  1. This memorandum was subsequently included as an appendix to annex vii to C.C.S. 244/1, May 25, 1948, ante, p. 233. For the Douglas notes of the American-British meeting of May 22–23, 1943, at which this memorandum was prepared, see ante, p. 175.↩