The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-11-02

IIldIltCIlCS OuO CAlOJ AAe%'N AAAN"N' ti-aircraft guns and have gal superiority of the great democratic powers.
 The prospects are not at all pleas ing from the viewpoint of Britain and France, regardless of the fact that their superior resources may win out in the long run. Rearma- ment on a vast scale will require terrific concentration of effort in both nations. It means great strain on national economic struc- lures. It necessarily involves con- stant political dangers.
 But the course has been chosen After the peace of Munich" Brit ain and France had no choice put to re-arm and the immediate cry for protection centered on aerial arms for defense and counter-at- tack. Germany admittedly had fiye-year start; Italy was power fully armed in the air. Great BTU ain and France might catch up by a great effort to build planes and bv purchases in the United States but that was only part ot the DIG ture.
 The British and French sudden lv discovered that they were gong to need more naval power, too From London came reports that the 1889 British naval expansion pro- gram would include at least one 35.OOO-ton battleship, several cruls- CTS. two flotillas of destroyers and many motor torpedo boats.
 In Paris, the naval expert of the Petit Parisien disclosed that he combined French British naval ad- vantage over the German and Ital- ian fleets soon would drop to 3S ner cent unless the democratic pow CTS took immediate action to bullo m their fleets. That percentage IS significant in view of the fact that Britain and France in the past have maintained combined fleets 69 pel cent superior to the total German and Italian naVal lOICeS'
 The superior British-French fleets have been necessary because Of theil colonial empires, which must be pa trolled by sea. But construction al nresent. according to Rene la Bru- yere's survey in the Petit Parisien shows France and Britain are build- ina a total of 87 warships (aggre- gating 634,142 tons), while Italy ano Germany are constructing Ill ships (4O6. sos tons). The Fascist powers have been concentrating on small Ter type ships, including subma' rines. which are their chief poten tial weapon against the British navy.
 A breakdown of the construction shows that Britain is building fiv' battleships; France, Germany ant Italy three each. Britain is build ing five aircraft carriers, France once and Germany two. But in sub marines Germany leads all the pow CTS with 25 under construction Britain is building IS, Italy 12, ane France seven.
 France and England must inten. sify construction, especially of sub. marines" Bruyee concluded. "A the rate Italy and Germany art building they will soon clearly dominate that category and thu. threaten the freedom of our impe. rial communications
 France, most vulnerable to aeria terrorism, is uniting every energy tc building up a balance against the Nad air fleet. Nobody has evel proved how many planes Germany could put into the air now. Int widest estimates run up to 10000 Around 5000 is the figure accepted by most authorities.
 The same authorities estimate other air fleets at:
 Soviet Russia 5000 to $500
 Italy ...s.........4 .4,000 to 4,2O0
 France .......... 3,20O to $500
 Japan ............ 5000 to $500
 Great Britain .... 5000 to $500
 Such figures are tricky, however because of obsolete second lin, planes.
 The French program calls f, two years of intensive constructit during which 4,SOO fighting plane. and 12,000 motors are to be built at . cost of almost $500,000,00O. O these planes, 2,617 will be front lin, planes and the others will be re. placements.
 To carry out the program, tn, government is planning to run fac tories on three or four shifts wher ever possible. The program call for production of 200 planes i, month, starting next April. Onl, 240 planes have been built since las