Speech #800132401

In it the committee pointed out that this administration was selling to foreign governments 100 T2 tankers. 51 of which were taken out of the active fleet. and 29 of which were taken out of the active service which has been bringing fuel oil from the Gulf States to the port of Baltimore and to other ports on the Atlantic coast as far north as Boston. Mass. A letter of protest was written to the President of the United States before those sales were confirmed. and in that letter attention was called to the acute situation in regard to transportation. and it was pointed out that such a shortage of fuel oil would develop unless the sales were made to citizen applicants. instead of to noncitizen applicants. That was pointed out clearly. and it cannot be disputed or denied. So the acute fueloil shortage in which we now find ourselves is partly caused by the fact that we have transferred to foreign countries these 100 T2 tankers. which cost $4.500.000 apiece. but were sold to foreigners for $1.500.000 apiece.