Speech #760260270

I wish to say something on another subject. Mention has been made of the steamship American Legion. Yesterday afternoon the Senator from Washington made some remarks in regard to that ship. in which the State Department was taken rather severely to task because of its part in bringing the ship across the ocean from Finland with American refugees gathered together in Europe. I did not have the information at the time the Senator made his remarks. and I could not leave the floor to inquire about it. but today I have obtained from the State Department the facts with respect to the ship. The American Legion is a ship which belongs to the Army. It is an American transport. so that its operations are under the control of the War Department. It was desired to bring back from Europe a number of -American refugees. and before the 9th day of August there was a conference between the War Department. the Navy Department. and the State Department concerning the feasibility and the propriety of bringing the ship across the ocean with these Americans who wanted to get back home. and regarding the route which it should take in the event they decided it should come. In these conferences the question of the route it should take was left to the Navy Department. because they controlled the matter of navigation. The actual operation of. the ship is in the control of the War Department. under the Transport Division. The State Department came into the picture because they had to send notices to all the belligerents that the ship was going to sail. and the State Department was the proper department of the Government to do that. On the 9th of August the State Department notified all seven of the belligerent governments in Europe that on the 16th day of August the ship would sail from Finland with these American refugees aboard. All seven of the belligerents. including Germany. accepted that notification and agreed to it. But within 24 hours before the date on which the ship was to sail the German Government advised the Government of the United States that on account of the fact that there might be fog in that part of the seas to be traversed at the time the boat would sail through them it might be difficult for their airplanes to distinguish between the American Legion and other ships. and thereby they might be in danger with respect to bombs from the air.