Evening star., 1937-03-26


ma courage a tack
and to insure ma
|. eERLES tional safety.
The military
experts will tell
you that while this defense today falls
short Of "iron-clad security" we are
much better equipped to meet q war
emergency than in April, 1917.
Not only have there been great i'm
Of our sea, land and air forces, but
probably even more vital are the in
tensively developed plans to mobilize
the Nations tremendous industrial re-
sources and mighty man power in the
event of war
Navy Is Main Defense.
Isolation from potential enemy
countries in Europe or Asia, together
with our cordial relations with neigh
Dor nations, obviates the needs of
huge peace-time conscript army such
as constitutes huge financial burden
on nearly every other major country.
The Navy remains our first line OF
defense and Congress seems deter
mined to put 1t on a parity with Great
sea power.
Last Summer Congres; enacted the
Nations biggest peace-time military
budget-a $526,OOO,oOO naval appro-
priations bill. And now President
Roosevelt has asked Cangress for an
appropriation of s587 100000 for naval
expenditure in the fiscal year begin
ming next July /.
The fighting forces of the worlds
three largest navies at present are:
United States-305 Warships of 1,046,-
ATS tons and 95 ships of 355.215 tons
under construction; Great Britain
279 warships of 1,l92,103 tons and 50
ships of $40 tons under construc-
ton; Japan-192 warships of 734,672
tons and 81 vessels of 9O,194 tons
under construction.
212 Ships cover Age"
Some 212 of the United States
ships, however, are "over age" as COM
pared with l03 British and 20 Jap
anese in that category. (Vessels are
rated lover age" when a specified
number of years have elapsed since
their completion)
When this country entered the war,
the Navy had total of $40 ships, but
that included gunboats, sundry other
small craft not now listed in naval
strength, and many old battleships
in the relic" class.
Navies today are high speed COM
pared with 20 years ago. In addition
to ship speed increases and armor
improvement, there has been rapid
development in fire control and COM
munlcatlons, and marked strength
ening in the numbers and cali er of
personnel
The United States is weak in land
strength compared with the other
great powers, but the Army has made
tremendous progress since 1917.
Maj. Gen. Douglas Macarthur,
former chief Of staff, says I'VE have
developed tanks, combat cars and
other types Of armored vehicles which
beyond doubt are the equal and in
some respects probably superior to any
others in the world"
Guns Improved.
The Army had 900 field guns when
the United States entered the war.
Our war reserve" in artillery today,
although military secret, is known
to be incomparably greater We
emerged from the war with some
1000 pieces of light field artillery of
the famous French rs model Pilot
models since developed have greatly
increased f1exibility of fire, have
longer range and are not subject to
damage when travelling at high speeds
as are the old "75's"
mi-automatic rifles for infan-
trymen are displacing the old Spring.
fields and the latest types of small
arms ammunitions have almost dou-
bled the range of similar World War
calibers. Army officers say also that
tremendous advances have been made
in the production of armor- piercing
bullets.
The present regular Army of 49,
187 officers and 151,0 900 enlisted men
Is not much larger than the $4,000
officers and enlisted men in the Spring
Of 1917. But the building up of a
reserve officers corps of 10000 men
has been significant development.
The Army went to war in 1917 with
IS airplanes Today it has 1,1O4
standard planes and about AT So
called obsolete planes, while its
eventual goal is force of 1900 we'll
equipped sky craft.
Industrial Mobilization.
A master industrial mobilization
plan empowers the President to fix
prices Of commodities and regulate
their manufacture, use, sale and dis
tribution. He would draft industrial
management personnel into Govern
ment service and commander manu-
featuring plants or other industrial
establishments under certain cond1-
tions.
For the Job Of harnessing industrial
power to military and civilian needs
war resources administration would
be created somewhat along the lines
of the 1917-1919 war industries board
but with broader powers and juris-
diction.
Tomorrow: Neutrality Then and
Now.
Australia Plans Giant Radio.