Evening star., 1935-09-27

valuable auxiliary to the feet, but it
is far too small; and, in any case.
a certain number of specially de-
signed vessels are urgently needed
An adequate Merchant Marine is
second only in Importance to the
combat ships in a well-rounded Navy.
The Navy has never before had
anything in the way of building
program as balanced and judicious
as the present one. The nearest ap-
proach to it was the building program
of 1916, conceived under the stimu-
lus of the war in Europe, and never
completed. The fashion Of American
naval construction has been sporadic,
and sporadic building means haste
and waste. When the present con-
struction was put in progress, the
Navy Department was faced with
formidable difficulties. The years of
neglect had vitally affected the ship
yards, both private and public. Naval
construction is the work of specialists
and technicians and skilled laborers.
Naval design in itself is an art and
an exact science: and there are never
very many naval designers available
The Stats of trained men who for
merly were attached. to the Shipyards
had dispersed from lack of employ
ment. Their tools were turned to
other trades. Their experience and
skill were no longer available. Ex-
traordinary effort was necessary to re-
assemble even part Of them. New
men had to be trained, both in the
shops and in the Offices. Naval
science abroad had made long strides
forward. New appliances had to be
studied, and new designs conceived.
A certain amount of delay was in
evitable in getting organized for
production: and the instability of
labor conditions has occasioned fur
ther delays. BY the laws enacted for
the new construction, half the ships
are allotted to navy yards and half
TO private Shipbuilding concerns;
and the private yards have met the
same difficulties which the Navy De-
partment has been obliged to over
come. Incidentally, it may be re-
marked here that the present building
program has perhaps saved the
American shipbuilding industry from
dissolution. Not only has the ship
building industry-a vital industry to
any nation that desires to trade
abroad-been pulled out of a bad
hole. hIit fhnlISondc of ;~l
have been given gainful occupation.
and a very wide range of industries
particularly the hard-hit heavy in
dustries-have been helpfully stimu-
lated. Almost every section of the
country, and every trade we follow,
contribute to the construction of a
war vessel
Work Progressing Rapidly.
So much. then, for the construction
end. The ships are getting bull.
They are going into the water and
joining the fleet. AS the program
proceeds, and the staffs accumulate
experience, the work goes more
smoothly and more rapidly. We have
our capital ships all in commission.
They are as good as any ships in the
world, although some of them are
approaching over-age, as have
already said. The last of our aircref #
carriers was authorized recently, and
the last of the cruisers These ships
are now under construction, and when
they go into commission We will be
abreast of the tonnage allowed us by
the treaties. in those categories. It
is confidently believed that the sue
cessive Congresses will authorize tie
completion of the program-the So
destroyers and the 18 submarines
which the Navy still requires.
Last Spring, the United States
Feet. with its battleships, its great
carriers, its divisions of
cruisers. destroyers and submarines,
and the highly important store ships
and repair vessels of the fleet train,
together with transports carrying the
regiments of the Fleet Marine Force,