1334Z 31 May 1967 drafted message text from
Commander, Sixth Fleet to
Chief of Naval Operations

DTG 311334Z MAY 67

FROM: COMSIXTHFLT

TO:   CNO

INFO: USCINCEUR/CINCUSNAVEUR

UNCLAS EFTO

VADM MARTIN'S REMARKS TO PRESS

1. THE FOLLOWING IS A VERBATIM TEXT OF VADM MARTIN'S INTERVIEW
BY NEWSMEN EMBARKED IN USS AMERICA ON 30 MAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH USCINCEUR
DIRECTIVE. THIS IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE RECORDED TAPE WITH NO EDITING.
IT IS FORWARDED AS REQUESTED IN REF A. [CNO 310556Z MAY 67] QUOTE:

PAGE 1 OF 12 PAGES

GENTLEMEN I DON'T HAVE A PREPARED SPEECH. I COULD GIVE YOU A
FEW THOUSAND SELECTED WORDS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SEA POWER WHICH
COULD KEEP US BUSY FOR QUITE AWHILE. YOU GENTLEMEN ARE WELL
INFORMED OF I'M SURE ON THE PURPOSES, THE MISSION OF THE NAVY'S
PRESENCE HERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. I'M SURE THAT YOU BELIEVE
AS I DO THAT ALL OF OUR PURPOSES ARE ENTIRELY IMPARTIAL THAT WE
WISH TO MAINTAIN THE PEACE TO KEEP THE SEA LANES FREE FOR THE USE
OF ALL NATIONS AND TO DO THIS REQUIRES A GREAT VARIETY OF
CAPABILITIES - WHICH THIS FLEET HAS. I'M SURE THAT ADMIRAL GEIS
HAS INFORMED YOU THAT OUR MOVEMENTS AT THIS TIME ARE ABOUT AS
NORMAL AS YOU CAN DESCRIBE A NORMAL SITUATION. WE ARE ALWAYS
MOVING IN ORDER TO EXERCISE OUR VARIOUS FORCES IN VARIOUS WAYS.
THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL WHATSOEVER ABOUT OUR PRESENT LOCATION
OR COMPOSITION. I THINK BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER NOW I WOULD
LIKE TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AND HOPE YOU WILL
KEEP IN MIND MY POSITION OF BEING THE COMMANDER OF THE SIXTH FLEET
AND I KNOW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT OUR CAPABILITIES AND I THINK I COULD
ANSWER QUESTIONS OF AN UNCLASSIFIED NATURE IN THAT AREA.
Q: ADMIRAL CAN YOU TELL US WHETHER OR NOT A NON-MEMBER OF THE
SIXTH FLEET, THE CARRIER INTREPID IS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN?
A: YES THE INTREPID IS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.
Q: COULD YOU TELL US WHETHER OR NOT SHE PLANS TO NEGOTIATE THE
SUEZ CANAL.
A: NO I DO NOT.
Q: COULD YOU TELL US WHERE ABOUT THE INTREPID IS LOCATED NOW?
A: SHE'S IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN.

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Q: ADMIRAL, SPEAKING OF YOUR CAPABILITIES THE PRESENT COMPOSITION
OF THE SIXTH FLEET AND THE FORCES BEING CONVEYED BY THE SIXTH FLEET.
ARE YOU CAPABLE IN TIME OF EMERGENCY OF AN IMMEDIATE LANDING IN
YOUR VICINITY, OR WAR FORCES, MARINES OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER
OR DEGREE?
A: WELL AS YOU KNOW WE HAVE MARINES EMBARKED MOST OF THE TIME OR
READY TO RE-EMBARK IF THEY ARE NOT AND THEY ARE EXTREMELY MOBILE.
THAT FORCE AS THIS TIME IS EXERCISING IN AN ENTIRELY NORMAL MANNER
WITH A SCHEDULE THAT WAS MADE UP AT LEAST THREE MONTHS AGO AND THEY
ARE PROCEEDING WITH A SCHEDULE THAT IS SEVERAL WEEKS OLD. Q: THERE IS
NOTHING UNUSUAL AT ALL ABOUT THEIR PRESENCE OR NUMBERS OF FORCES
IN THE PRESENT EXERCISE?
A: NOT AT ALL.
Q: ADMIRAL COULD -- WE'RE OUT OF TOUCH HERE TO SOME EXTENT. CAN
YOU GIVE US A READING ON WHAT BEEN HAPPENING IN THE GULF OF AQABA
OR ANY INSTANCE OF FIRING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND EGYPT?
A: NO MORE THAN YOU HAVE ACCESS TO RIGHT HERE IN YOUR PRESS.
Q: ADMIRAL WILL THERE BE ANY STRENGTHENING OF THIS PARTICULAR PART
OF THE SIXTH FLEET IN THIS CRISIS -- DO YOU HAVE OTHER UNITS THAT
MAY BE MOVING TO JOIN IN YOUR CURRENT EXERCISE?
A: NOT RIGHT AWAY. WE HAVE ROUTINELY..WE BRING IN A ASW HUNTER
KILLER GROUP. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF DOING THAT THIS SUMMER
JUST WHEN HASN'T BEEN DECIDED BUT THIS HAS BEEN IN OUR PLANS AND
HAS BEEN IN OUR PLANS TO ROTATE ONE OF THE HUNTER KILLER GROUPS
WHICH CONSISTS OF ONE OF THE ASW CARRIERS WITH THE DESTROYERS AND
ITS BAG OF HELICOPTERS AND FIXED WING AIRCRAFT. THERE IS A
PROPOSAL TO MOVE ONE INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN THIS YEAR BUT AS I SAY

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THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IN OUR PROGRAM.
Q: ADMIRAL DON'T YOU USUALLY HAVE SHIPS THAT WOULD BE CALLING
ON ARAB PORTS AND IF NOT ARE THERE PLANS TO DO SO ... IS THIS
UNUSUAL?
A: NO WE HAVEN'T BEEN CALLING ON ARAB PORTS VERY MUCH. THERE
HAVE BEEN .. WE'VE HAD SOME VERY SUCCESSFUL VISITS IN THE LAST
MONTH IN FACT THAT SITUATION WAS IMPROVING.
Q: ADMIRAL COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MOVEMENT OF THE SOVIET
SHIPS THAT ARE APPARENTLY WATCHING YOUR NAVAL OPERATIONS?
A: JUST WHAT THEY DO I'M NOT SURE. THEY ARE HERE THEY HAVE A
RIGHT TO BE HERE. THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE ARE PROTECTING HERE
IS THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS. THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE HERE.
Q: ARE THEY HERE MOST OF THE TIME?
A: IT CHANGES FROM TIME TO TIME. THE SUMMER SEASON IS A LITTLE
HEAVIER ON THE POPULATION THAN OTHER TIMES BUT IT VARIES. IT'S
OBVIOUS THEY LEARN SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF SEA POWER.

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Q. DID THEY EVER TRY PLAYING BUMPSY-DAISY WITH ANY OF YOUR SHIPS?
A. I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TRIED. THEY DO GET RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF
OUR FORMATION SOMETIMES AND STAY WITH US FOR PERIODS OF TIME, FREQUENTLY
SITUATIONS IN WHICH THEY ENDANGER OUR SHIPS POSSIBLY, AS WELL AS
ENDANGERING THEMSELVES. I'VE HAD OCCASIONS WHERE I HAVE INVITED THEM TO
LEAVE OUR FORMATIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
Q. HOW DO THEY CREATE THESE SITUATIONS?
A. BY GETTING TOO CLOSE, BY GETTING MUCH CLOSER IN OUR FORMATIONS THAN
OUR OWN SHIPS COME TO EACH OTHER AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT OUR MOVEMENTS
ARE GOING TO BE AND WE DO KNOW WHAT OUR MOVEMENTS ARE GOING TO BE. IT IS
MUCH EASIER TO CONFORM WITH A MANEUVERING TASK FORCE IF YOU WHAT
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO DO THAN IT IS TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT TASK FORCE
AND NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO SUCH AS CHANGES OF COURSES AND CHANGES
OF SPEED.
Q. WHAT IS THE HEAVIST UNIT THEY'VE HAD IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, A CRUISER?
A. YES.
Q. DO THEY BASE IN ALEXANDRIA PRETTY MUCH?
A. NO, THEY STAY AT SEA.
Q. THEY STAY AT SEA MORE OR LESS AS WE DO?
A. YES.
Q. WOULD YOU THINK IT FAIR TO SAY THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, THAT
WE'VE HAD NO SPECIFIC HARASSMENT?
A. NO, I WOULD SAY THE LAST SITUATION WE HAD WAS SOME TIME AGO.
Q. ABOUT WHEN?
A. OH, A MONTH AGO.
Q. DID HE MOVE INTO NEAR ONE OF OUR DESTROYERS YESTERDAY? I WAS TOLD WITHIN
A THOUSAND YARDS, MOVE INTO THE FORMATION?
A. IT WOULDN'T BE UNUSUAL.

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Q. YOU WOULDN'T CONSIDER THIS HARASSMENT BUT DID IT OCCUR YESTERDAY?
A. I HAVEN'T HAD THAT REPORT. DO YOU KNOW? (QUESTION ADDRESSED TO RADM GEIS)
A. (RADM GEIS) NOT IN THE SENSE OF HARASSMENT. IN THE [?] WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING
[?] PEOPLE WOULD ESTIMATE THE RANGE TO BE ABOUT THAT CLOSE[?] I FRANKLY DO
NOT KNOW THE EXACT ANSWER. AS FAR AS MY QUESTION WAS CONCERNED THERE WAS
NO HARASSMENT. WE WOULD EXPECT U.S. SHIPS TO OPERATE WITHIN A THOUSAND
YARDS.
Q. GOING BACK TO SOME OF THESE EARLIER INCIDENTS WHICH ARE NOT NECESSARILY
BEARING ON THE PRESENT SITUATION IN THE NEAR EAST, WHAT SORT OF RESPONSE DO
YO HAVE FROM THESE SHIPS, THE TRAWLER OR THE DESTROYER ESCORT, WHEN YOU
SUGGEST OR ASK THEM TO LEAVE THE AREA?
A. THIS ONE DID, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FIRST PART OF THE TRANSMISSION. HE
DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE REST BUT HE DID WITHDRAW WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT HE
WAS CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
Q. WAS THIS A TRAWLER.
A. YES, IT WAS.
Q. WHEN DID THIS OCCUR?
A. WELL, IT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR FAIR[?] EXERCISE. IT WAS
ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
Q. THERE WAS A SPEECH BY MR. BREZHNEV A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO ABOUT WITHDRAWAL
OF THE SIXTH FLEET FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT?
A. WELL, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THE U.S. NAVY HAS HAD A NAVAL FORCE PRESENT
HERE FOR MANY MANY YEARS DATING BACK TO THE LAST CENTURY. WE'VE HAD THE SIXTH
FLEET HERE FOR 19 YEARS AND I THINK WE'VE PROVEN TO EVERYBODY'S SATISFACTION
OR SHOULD HAVE, OUR COMPLETE DEDICATION TO PEACE. NOW, BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE
TRIES TO GET THIS FORCE THAT HAS PROVEN ITS PURPOSES AND ITS MISSION HERE TO
LEAVE THESE WATERS, IT SEEMS THAT WHOEVER MAKES THESE REQUESTS SHOULD HAVE
PROVEN LIKEWISE OF THEIR OWN FORCES.

PAGE 6 OF 12 PAGES

Q. WHAT DO YOU CONCEIVE OF AS THE LONG RANGE SOVIET INTENTIONS HERE?
A. NO, I DON'T KNOW EXCEPT THAT WE'VE SEEN, THE UNITED STATES AND THE
UNITED STATES NAVY STRONGLY BELIEVES IN THE VALUE OF SEA POWER, SEA BASED
FORCES OF A VARIETY OF KINDS AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT OTHER NATIONS READ
OUR CONCEPTS AND HAVE BEEN QUITE IMPRESSED WITH SEA BASED FORCES AS WELL.
Q. ADMIRAL, HOW DO WE STACK UP AGAINST THE RUSSIAN CAPABILITY?
A. I THINK WE ARE FAR AHEAD OF THEM IN EVERY AREA OF NAVAL WARFARE.
Q. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY UNUSUAL UNIDENTIFIED SUBMARINE OPERATIONS IN THIS
VICINITY THAT YOU COULD TELL US ABOUT, POSSIBLY SOVIET SUBMARINES OPERATIONS?
A. NO, WE DO KNOW THAT THEY KEEP A FEW SUBMARINES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AS
A ROUTINE MATTER. THERE ARE SOVIET SUBMARINES PRESENT HERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
ON A ROUTINE MATTER.
Q. HAVE THEY BEEN SIGHTED ON THE SURFACE?
A. I WOULDN'T CARE TO COMMENT ON THAT.
Q. COULD YOU GIVE US A RUNDOWN ON OUR CURRENT ESTIMATE OF SOVIET SHIPS
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN?
A. ONLY IN GENERAL TERMS. AS I SAY, THE POPULATION INCREASES IN THE SUMMERTIME
AND THE NUMBER NO ARE ABOUT THE NUMBER THAT THEY HAVE HAD IN RECENT YEARS.
Q. PERHAPS A DOZEN IN ALL?
A. ABOUT.
Q. DO THEY HAVE ONE LIGHT CRUISER AND SEVERAL DESTROYERS?
A. THEY HAVE A CRUISER AND DESTROYER TYPES, MINESWEEPERS TYPES.
Q. IN THESE BRIEF ENCOUNTERS DO THEY RESPOND TO INTERNATIONAL CODE SIGNALS?
WHEN YOU TELL A RUSSIAN TO BUZZ OFF, WHAT DO THEY TELL THEM IN?
A. THERE ARE INTERNATIONAL SIGNALS THAT THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU ARE

PAGE 7 of 12 PAGES

SUPPOSED TO TELL THEM IN PLAIN LANGUAGE. ON THIS OCCASION I TOLD THEM
BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN RUSSIAN BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE APPROACHING
A SITUATION THAT I THOUGHT WAS DANGEROUS NOT ONLY FOR US BUT FOR THEM.
Q. DO YOU TRANSMIT BY FLASHING LIGHT?
A. I SENT THE MESSAGE BY FLASHING LIGHT AND ALSO SENT IT BY UHF RADIO.

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Q. DO THEY OPERATE ON COMMON FREQUENCIES?
A. BETTER SK THEM ABOUT THAT. I WAS ASSUMING THAT THEY MIGHT. THERE
TRAWLERS ARE INTELLIGENCE COLLECTORS AND I ASSUME THAT THEY ARE PREPARED
TO COLLECT ALL KINDS.
Q. ON NAVY OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES, THE STUFF THAT'S OPERATING IN THE MED
SEA, PERSIAN GULF, INDIAN OCEAN AND SO ON, THAT COMES DIRECT FROM WASHINGTON?
THERE IS NO COORDINATION WITH THIS COMMAND?
A. YOU ARE CORRECT. AS COMMANDER SIXTH FLEET I HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITIES.
I COULD HAVE SOME OF A SUPPORTING NATURE, BUT I DO NOT HAVE IT NOW.
Q. WERE THERE ANY PLANS TO VISIT SAY HAIFA BEFORE, OR IS HAIFA A PORT
OF CALL OF THE SIXTH FLEET?
A. IT WAS NEVER PLANNED BEFORE THIS CRISIS. I COULDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT
THE PLANNING. I DON'T BELIEVE THE SIXTH FLEET HAS BEEN IN THERE. I WAS
HERE THREE YEARS AGO. I HAD TASK FORCE 60 HERE THREE YEARS AGO. TO MY
KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE NOT VISITED HAIFA.
Q. COULD YOU TELL US WHERE TASK FORCE 61 AND 62 ARE?
A. AS I TOLD YOU, THEY ARE AT SEA EXERCISING AND THEY ARE CARRYING OUT
A SCHEDULE THAT WAS MADE UP MANY MONTHS AGO.
Q. TO THE EAST OF US, OR WEST OF US, OR SOUTH OF US?
A. THEY ARE, I BELIEVE, GOING INTO MALTA ON THEIR NEXT VISIT WHICH WILL
BE TOMORROW I GUESS THEY GET IN THERE.
Q. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME SORT OF IDEA OF WHAT SORT OF INSTRUCTIONS YOU
RECEIVED FROM WASHINGTON IN THE PRESENT CRISIS. JUST A GENERAL
CHARACTERIZATION.

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A. NO, I BELIEVE IT IS KNOWN THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND THE NAVY LONG
ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THEY PLAN EVERY CONCEIVABLE THING THAT CAN HAPPEN,
AND I WILL ASSURE YOU THAT I HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY IMPARTIAL IN MY PLANNING.
I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU WERE TO REVIEW, IF IT WAS POSSIBLE, IF YOU WERE
TO REVIEW ALL OF THE CONCEIVABLE CONTINGENCIES THAT MIGHT COME UP, THAT
YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT THEY ARE COMPLETELY IMPARTIAL. THAT IS, OPEN
ENDED AND READY TO MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE WAY
OF NAVAL PLANNING, AND BECAUSE WE DO HAVE MOBILE, VERSATILE FORCES WE CAN
DO THAT KIND OF PLANNING.
Q. HOW LONG CAN YOUR FLEET REMAIN AT SEA, ADMIRAL, WITHOUT PUTTING INTO
PORT, IF NECESSARY?
A. INDEFINITELY. WE ARE SUPPORTED ALMOST ... IT IS POSSIBLE TO SUPPORT
THIS FLEET 100 PERCENT FROM THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT GOING INTO ANY PORT.
Q. FOR AN UNLIMITED TIME?
A. FOR AN UNLIMITED TIME. THE ONLY REASON WE DON'T DO THAT IS THAT IT IS
NICE TO HAVE FRESS VEGETABLES AND FRUIT, AND WE DO GO INTO PORT AND WE DO
HAVE SOME FRIENDS THERE THAT HAVE PRODUCE TO MAKE THE MENU MORE INTERESTING.
Q. ADMIRAL, COULD YOU GIVE US SOME IDEA OF YOUR CAPABILITIES IN CASE THEY
START FIGHTING OVER IN THE ISRAEL - ARAB AREA. FOR INSTANCE, COULD YOU
OPERATE FROM HERE OVER THE STRAITS OF AQABA?
A. I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT THE RANGE OF OUR AIRCRAFT ARE, AND THOSE
RANGES, WITH AIR-TO-AIR REFUELING, CAN BE GREATLY EXTENDED. I WILL SAY
THIS, THAT WE DO HAVE SUFFICIENT CAPABILITIES TO COVER ALL OF THE POSSI-
BILITIES OF ACTION THAT MIGHT COME UP.

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Q. IN YOUR INSTRUCTIONS FROM WASHINGTON, HAVE THEY GIVEN YOU ANY IDEA
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING, OR HAVE THEY JUST SAID STANDBY?
A. THEY REALLY HAVE NOT HAD TO TELL ME ANYTHING, POINT IS THIS IS ONE OF
THE ADVANTAGES OF NAVAL FORCES. WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY OVERFLIGHT
CLEARANCES, WE DON'T HAVE TO STAGE THROUGH ... THERE ARE NO SOVEREIGNTY
PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER, WE JUST MOVE. AND I HAVE FREQUENTLY MOVED BY WHAT'S
HAPPENING HERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. IT JUST HAPPENS THAT ON THIS OCCASION
THAT WE WERE ALREADY IN ABOUT THE POSITION THAT ANYBODY WOULD WANT NAVAL
FORCES TO BE TO HANDLE ANY CONTINGENCIES THAT MIGHT GROW OUT OF THIS TENSION.
Q. ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOUR CURRENT SCHEDULE OR PLANS ARE NOT ALTERED IN
ANY WAY BY THE --
A. VERY LITTLE.
Q. IN WHAT WAY HAVE THEY BEEN ALTERED?
A. WELL, WE HAVE – WE TRY TO GET THE ENTIRE STRIKE FORCE TOGETHER, TASK
FORCE 60, ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, OR MAYBE MORE FREQUENTLY.
Q. THAT'S THE TWO CARRIERS?
A. THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAVE THEM TOGETHER NOW AS YOU KNOW, BUT THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT LARRY GEIS AND I DISCUSSED EVEN BEFORE HE CAME HERE, THE
DESIRABILITY OF GETTING THE TASK FORCE TOGETHER.
Q. DID YOU ADVANCE THIS SOMEWHAT?
A. YES, WE DID.
Q. HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT TO BE IN THIS AREA?
A. AS LONG AS WE ARE TOLD. I DON'T KNOW. AGAIN, YOU CAN SPECULATE
ON THAT ONE BETTER THAN I CAN.

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Q. HAS ANY AMERICAN SHIP ENTERED OR TRIED TO ENTER THE SUEZ CANAL IN
THE LAST FEW DAYS?
A. NO, NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
Q. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FIRING INCIDENTS ON OUR NAVAL OR MERCHANT SHIPS?
A. NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
Q. WHAT SORT OF PROTECTION, ROUTINELY, WOULD YOU AFFORD AN AMERICAN MER-
CHANT VESSEL THAT CAME UNDER STRESS, FIRE FOR INSTANCE, OF A FOREIGN POWER?
IS THERE AN AUTOMATIC RESPONSE OR IS THIS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE
YOU WOULD AWAIT ORDERS AND INSTRUCTIONS FROM WASHINGTON?
A. THAT WOULD DEPEND ON A LOT OF THINGS. WHERE IT HAPPENS, UNDER WHAT
CONDITIONS. WE ARE ALWAYS READY TO PROTECT U.S. NATIONALS AND SHIPS AND
WE HAVE A VARIETY OF WAYS OF DOING THAT. USUALLY OUR PRESENCE ITSELF,
KNOWING THAT THIS CAPABILITY IS HERE, HAS A VERY STABILIZING INFLUENCE.
EACH CASE WOULD HAVE TO BE VONSIDERED ON ITS OWN MERITS. UNQUOTE.

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