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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

Chronological Copy.                               File No.      

Cablegram Sent      Jan 15, 1918. TOH

To Opnav Washington.               Serial No. 2982

Prep. by MO    SX   D.R.

Sigcode       

2982.     Your 2153.1 Special Panel to handle American Shipbuilding supplies has been formed by the Controller of the Admiralty.2 This Committee is made up of his representatives and members from the Admiral ty, Foreign Office, Shipbuilding firms and the United States Navy and has authority to fix priority and to arrange for export licenses. Whenever materials or products have been available Panel has given effective assistance to the United States Navy and the Emergency Fleet Corporation and it will continue to do so as long as the supply of materials here warrants such action. The Army requirements from British sources are so different from our own in character that no advantage would be gained by consolidation. The Navy and Shipping Boards needs can best be met working through the Panel and I am strongly of the opinion that it would be most inadvisable for this reason to introduce a new element such as the Committee made up of representatives of Army, Navy and War Trade Board. If such committee was formed the special Admiralty Panel on shipbuilding matters would pass on recommendations of that Committee before they would become effective.3 00116.

Sims     

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: This cable has not been found.

Footnote 2: Sir Alan Garrett Anderson.

Footnote 3: Such a committee does not appear to have been formed, however, a reorganization of the War Industries Board in March 1918 led to a consolidation of industrial production.

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