Evening star., 1937-02-23

ing those now under construction.
totals 70. Japan has 80 and Great
Britain has 108. What about sub
marines? We have a total OF AZ,
built or building, whereas Japan has
81 and Great Britain has SO.
Aircraft carriers continue the mo-
bile base Of a naval force. When we
finish the aircraft carriers we now
have under construction We will have
total of 6. Japan has and Great
Britain 8.
In comparative strength Of COM
bined air forces we are in seventh
place. according to a public state
ment recently made by the chief Of
the Army Air Corps That means
that six nations now have larger air
fleets than the United States. We have
a present total of 2,074 planes. Even
Japan Is reported to have as many
military and naval planes as We have
Germany has 1880 war planes:
France, 1000; Italy. 4.400: Great
Britain, more than 1900. and Soviet
Russia is reported to have approx
mately 5000 planes.
Army Comparatively Small.
In the matter of comparative
strength Of our land forces you are
we'll aware that our own standing
Army Is the smallest of any large
nation. In fact, In numerical strength
it Is about on par with Turkey. Our
own total army strength including all
our trained reserves is about 400, 900.
The British Empire counts its army,
including its trained reserves, at l.
100000. Germany has more than
100000, not including any of her
numerous Semi-military organizations.
France and Italy each, including both
active and trained reserves are main.
tanning an army Of approximately
100000 Japan has more than q.
100000 men trained and ready for
service. Soviet Russia has nearly
100000 trained soldiers, of which
number about 100000 are on active
service.
Thus 1t Is apparent that our naval
and military defenses are far below
the standard set by other nations for
themselves and, in view of what Ia
happening elsewhere In the world, are
perhaps below the level for our own
safety. We are not, however, pro.
posing to embark in any competitive
race for naval supremacy. Our own
naval program, large as 1t may seem
TO be, Is nevertheless not more than
Is required IL we are to have q navy
strength specified for ourselves in the
peace-time naval treaties which re-
Gently expired. II we continue our
present program, we will not reach our
treaty strength until 1912. Whether
is will prove necessary to accelerate our
program and increase it Is question
which future events will determine.
Our traditional policy has been, and
ought to be, to think in terms of ma
tional defense-not in terms OF offense
Our Navy is necessarily our first line
of defense and II impreenable, our
complete defense, because by the cir.
cumstances OF our geographical posi-
ton, attack upon us, if attack does
come, must come by way of the sea.
We had no Navy when we fought
the Revolutionary War. BY courage,
by strategy and BY cunning. though
often with inferior forces, Washington
won many battles. He lost many other
battles and nearly lost the war because
Of one major reason. He was COM
PEELED to watch. helplessly. the con-
tinual landing of foreign soldiers on
American soil, while his own troops
dwindled through battle after battle
until Valley Forge, the time when the
historians say "all was lost save hope"
The Continental forces had no ships.
Had they been able to prevent the con-
tinuous landing Of foreign troops and
supplies, the Colonists would have won
the Revolution in comparatively
short time. Indeed, had they finally
not been able to prevent the landing Of
troops and supplies, we probably would
not have won our freedom. 1t was
not until France recognized the Col
onles and dispatched the French fleet.
through the efforts Of John Paul
Jones Tin part). which prevented fur.