DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 

 (COPY) Office of the Chief of Transportation 

 WASHINGTON 25, D, C. 



TCTER HB (OCT 381) Feb 26 1953 



Director, Fish and VITildlife Service 

 Department of the Interior 

 Washington 25, Do D. 



Dear Sirs 



This acknowledges receipt of your letter of 10 February 

 1953j File number 717, relative to the importance of the tuna 

 industry from the standpoint of national security and to poss- 

 ible use by the Transportation Corps of tuna clippers and 

 their crews in case of extreme emergencyo 



The importance of tuna fish and its products as a source 

 of food for this nation cannot be questioned o The size of the 

 domestic tuna fleet, which numbers more than two hundred ac- 

 tive boats of :jboth wood and steel construction ranging up to 

 140 feet in length, attests to that facto 



With respect to possible use of units of the donsstic 

 tuna fleet by the Transportation Corps in a nati onal emergen- 

 cy, the following information is furnished. Since World War 

 II the responsibilities for controlled mine planting activi- 

 ties have been transferred from the Department of the Army 

 to the Department of the Navy, The functions of moving mili- 

 tary personnel and supplies coastwise, overseas and within 

 Theaters of Operation have been transferred to the Military 

 Sea Transportation Service of the Department of the Navy. 

 The present water transportation responsibilities of the Trans- 

 portation Corps are discharged within harbor areas, on inland 

 waterways or on other relatively sheltered waters. 



From the above it is apparent that the types and sizes 

 of vessels required by the Transportation Corps in perform- 

 ing its present mission differ greatly from those used in 

 World War II, In addition, the current new vessel procure- 

 ment program of the Transportation Corps is aimed at acquiring 



355 



