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British Purchase 18 U.S. Vessels Washington, Feb. 3—British shipping interests, replacing war-destroyed tonnage, have purchased or have agreed to purchase 18 American vessels aggregating 76,267 gross tons, the Maritime Commission's records showed to-day. The French have acquired or are about to purchase 14 American ships ' totaling 36,925 gross tons. Virtually all ships which the Allied powers have acquired in this Country are more than 20 years old. i Many of them were tied up long be- | fore the war. BUFFALO GROUP FIGHTSSEAWAY Sees Waterway Plan as Harmful to City RALLIES INTERESTS Buffalo, N.Y., Feb. 4 (AP).—A Port of Buffalo Defense Committee has been formed to consolidate objections of Niagara frontier industry, agriculture and labor to the proposed St. Lawrence international seaway and power development, | Thomas C. O'Brien, a grain company official, said today. The committee was named at a meeting of representatives of waterfront workers, agriculture, elevators, feed and flour mills, canal and lake operators, industries and retail merchants. O'Brien, who also heads the marine committee of the Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber has examined the possible effects of St. Lawrence seaway proposals over several years and has "always concluded" those proposals definitely would be harmful to Buffalo, its waterfront interests and the entire Niagara frontier. The new committee represents first organized steps of private interests to follow the lead of the Niagara Frontier Planning Commission, which already has set up a committee to work with county supervisors in Erie and Niagara counties and the Buffalo City Council. The Erie County board of | supervisors has approved appropriation of $10,000, contingent upon similar action by the Buffalo City Council, to fight the proposal. i Huge Ship Order To Port Arthur Port Arthur, Ont., Feb. 9. — (UP) —The Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co. said to-day it had received orders from the Dominion government for eight ships of the submarine-chaser type, valued at over $4,000,000. Company officials said contracts for more than 60 ships, including patrol boats and sub-chasers, had been let to shipyards throughout Canada, at a total cost of "approximately" $50,000,000. Belgian Firm Buys U.S. Ships New York, Feb. 18 (AP).—The United States Lines has sold eight of its idle transatlantic ships, including the 13,869-ton President Harding, to a Belgian corporation for a reported sum of about $4,000,-000. President John M. Franklin of the United States Lines confirmed the sale Saturday, but declined to disclose the price. The purchasing firm was identified as the Societe Maritime An-versoise. The ships start operations between New York and Great Britain, France and Belgium within a few weeks. The vessels were: American Merchant, American Banker, American Farmer, American Importer, American Shipper, American Trader and American Traveler, all of about 7,000 gross tons, and the President Harding. All are cargo ships except the Harding. Wheat and Canadian Tug Sail for Vladivostok I Seattle, Feb. 25 (AP).—With a wheat cargo, the Russian motorship Friedrlch Engels sailed Saturday for Vladivostok after loading at Puget Sound and Columbia River ports. The tug Bon Voyage, purchased from Eastern Canadian interests and renamed the G.O.B., also sailed for Vladivostok. LAKE ERIE BOAT IS IN DISTRESS Vessel's Signals Sent Up Near Amherstburg TRY RESCUE IN ICE Amherstburg, Feb. 21 (Special).— A vessel believed to be the motorship Liberty of Nicholson Transit Company, Detroit, was in distress tonight ten miles off shore in Lake Erie from this town at the mouth of the Detroit River. Captain Earl McQueen set out from here in the icebreaker Patricia McQueen in an effort to reach the ship after reports were received that she had been sending up distress signals. The Liberty left Detroit today to survey ice conditions between that city and Toledo. Although the ship was only about ten miles away, Captain Nicholson was not expected to return before dawn. Heavy ice outside the harbor here would probably reduce his speed for much of the distance to as little as a mile an hour. First reports of the vessel's plight were received here via Detroit. The signals had apparently been sighted from the United States shore and. relayed to Detroit. Captain of the Liberty is W. R. Neal and the ship's chief engineer is Ben Swanson, according to the Great Lakes Red Book of 1939. The ship is apparently caught fast I in the ice, but the cause of its dis-I tress signals could not be learned here.