SEA POWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 January 1941, Page 9

SEA POWER

BID BY UNITED STATES

AMERICAN REARMAMENT. EXPANSION OF AIR FORCE. Though it costs twice as much to build or repair a man-of-war or a merchantman in the United States as in Great Britain, and American seamen's wages arc higher than in any other countiw in the world. Congress has decided that America shall have in future a navy even more powerful than Great Britain's, with great submarine flotillas, and a merchant fleet which will rank with that under the British flag, writes Sir Archibald Hurd, in the "Sydney Morning Herald.” There is also to be a great expansion in the air force of the United States to no fewer than 15.000 aeroplanes. Mahan, the American naval historian. wrote that "in the horoscope of every nation there is usually one other Power, accordant relations with which are of primary importance." That place in the horoscope of the United States he assigned to England. Mahan's dream will come true if the plans of Congress, extending over a period of five years, are carried out. Before the war the United States Navy had built or building 21 battleships. 41 cruisers, nine aircraft-car-riers. 243 destroyers. 69 submarines. 106 minesweepers, and an appropriate number of auxiliary vessels. This force compared not unfavourably in strength with the British Fleet. The late Congress approved the greatest shipbuilding programme ever put ini hand in any country, not excluding: Great Britain.

HUGE NAVAL PLANS.

Immediately the vote in Congress had been recorded no time was lost. •The Navy Department at Washington awarded contracts for 201 vessels at a cost of more than three and a third billions of dollars. Two hundred of these are combantant ships—seven battleships, eight aircraft-carriers. 27 cruisers. 115 destroyers, and 43 submarines, With the 358 combatant ships in service and the 130 already under construction, this makes a grand total of 688 combatant naval vessels built, building, or to be laid down during the next six months. This means that for the next five years an average of one warship will be added to the United States Navy every five days. It was in recognition of the important role of the aeroplane in naval warfare that the Royal Navy was authorised shortly before the opening of the war to begin developing its own fleet arm. distinct from the Royal Air Force, and authority was given by Parliament for the building of a large number of aircraft-carriers, vessels approaching battleships in displacement. and with a much greater speed. So far as the plans of the I American naval authorities have been; revealed, complete agreement appears to exist between Washington and London on all matters of the design and) equipment, with the result, that. if| common action were determined upon in future, the problems of joint operations against an enemy would be reduced to a minimum. If the United States intervenes in the present war and were at any future time culled upon to defend j principles dear to the British peoples the two navies would fight side by side as they did in the war of 1914-1 18.

Congress also decided that, as a matter of defence and trade, the American merchant navy must be expanded. The Maritime Commission has been provided with large funds Under the chairmanship of .Admiral Emory S Land, this body is profiting by the lessons of the unfortunate adventure in shipping which was entered upon after the hist world war. when upwards of £1.000.000,000 (nut dollars) was. owing to a series of errors, largely wasted under a system of State ownership and operation. The aim of the Maritime Commission is now io encourage shipowners to build subsidies adjusted to meet the varying conditions of competition on the different trade routes. It is proposed to complete for seas by 1943 no fewer than 500 now vessels, including liners of the largest size, and the highest pracucable speed. The Maritime Commission lias already sold to the Ministry of Shipping in London many old ships, which were a legacv of the shipbuilding programme put in hand tow.utis the end of the last war. and this money will be invested in new tonnage Work in the shipyards lias Mso been greatly speeded up, with the result dint slops will be completed in half the tim>- which was originallv contemplated For the Ameiican shipowner the prospect.', of lucrative employment of new tonnage are much brighter than before the war and the effective co-,: of •."«• ships, approximately half of i which is co-vi-red by the construction-! differential subsidy, is much reduced by the inflated price.-, obtamed for the | obsolete ships which have been sold. I REPLACEMENT PROFITS I I <As an illustration, a. 2()-yearmld I cargo vessel of my, hOlX) tons deadweight. has fetched £lO to £l5 a t->n c-.mpef'ed with a pre-war v.diu■ •f £3 ’<». Thus -hip m.iy be replaced! by i C-2 cargo liner of 75(M) toe.' d<-.;d-i weight c.>qii!i! about 2.<K.wi (M.h.) d -I'aie .' of winch nearly 50 per ecfil cuim's out* of Government funds The net cost] ■o the shipowner tier deducting thcj rm unt paid ' r old ' : ' iS tnu -' it. pL.C'e of ;i;i ct'oto, i:;.■. :o': i’ h) L.iul he h . m •-(!>-.. srod-j ertt imer v. uh . . j>ccd .. f 131 knots. 1 and fuel cqe ..mpo ;; c> : resta'ind.r.g l mn-miles Modern vsrgo hm rs, ffn<mrcd ■’ th< : main by Govt'-rnment fund' .' . r | mere’-’, bu’. i>y ‘ne r- u-. .seb-r;-. ’ -n - <>( < utihty in t..>r ;>m<- are bi-mg j.'aced j :,;r‘,ll«-r th-wf t o:'. A<m:o ’ I - : ■, A,;r:i-■ a;: i: i>, a G.,»- f . ■■ f t r »-?< «-K , a-» < .f-f.,;.’ ; IXijXEHXWi ' Thv- ■ X-r*;’t.. ' fitv-f -f fr !• { ~ •• ’Vj* 2 {f . . ' . ■ • ; ' ; •'. ? ]■. 7 . (

in the neighbourhood of 210.000,000 dollars. He claimed that when replacement plans are realised J'the | American merchant marine will be the I most modern in the competitive Latin , American trades.” Present replacement plans envisage about 38 new ships, including two 24-knot passenger liners of the same type as are to be built for the Pacific. I AMERICAN PROSPECTS. | It is already evident that American ; I shipping, with the American Govern-; I ment behind it, will be sufficiently i • strong and efficient to afford on some ; iof the most important trade routes ■ j more severe competition than in the > past. At the moment everything fori the United States Maritime Commission is plain sailing. But a note of; j warning was sounded recently in the; report of the special shipping com- i mittee of the Chamber of Commerce I of tiie United Slates. Discussing the! prospects for the disposal of the ships! on the new building programme, the! report added: "In the absence of any I immediate prospect of a serious short-j ' age of merchant shipping to meet our j I national requirements, and with our; i shipyards already well occupied with; Inaval and merchant construction, it’ appears the part of wisdom not to in- 1 crease the demands upon the yards 1 by ordering merchant ships for which I definite employment is no! reasonably I assured." Since that report was written .has come the urgent demand from Britain for standard freighters to replace enemy sinkings.