The Washington times., 1938-02-18

mead. waiting 10 Oe MT.
He says that that is not his
idea of fighting. 1t is the Demp-
Sey type that catches his eye.
Now you know a little some
thing more about your new cincus,
head man of the United States
aimed forces at sea.
REMEMBER JACK
Remember Dempsey, how he
used to say when the boys were
a little shy of him-"come on . d.
come on let's fight -?
The admiral, thin-faced, young
looking. with grayiSh hair and
light, seaman's eyes, sat at his
desk in his quarters aboard the
New Mexico, his temporary flag
ship at anchor in the harbor here
and confessed he became con-
fused when he heard talk about
defensive and aggressive wars. We
were discussing theoretically the
defense of U. S. coast line.
I'm afraid 1 get all muddled
up" he said. when they talk
abou+ this aggressive and de-
fensive warfare. There's only
one kind of war I know, and
that's war. Did you ever hear
Of any other kind?"
WHY WAIT AROUND?
"We wouldn't want anybody
even close to our coastline. An
enemy who might reach one of
our coasts with his ships and
aircraft could operate 800 miles
or more inland. It's lust good
common sense to keep him
away, isn't it? And you don't
keep him away by sitting off.
shore with your arms folded,
waiting for him to hit you"
Admiral Bloch impreSses you as
being a simple, practical man with
a grasp of the realities. He doesn't
mind talking about war, because
that is what the Navy is for, He
doesn't want war, but he is keep
ing his Navy exercised and pre-
pared for it, a reaSsuring thought
fer us landlubbers.
HOW HE SEES WAR
But in connection with this
topic he had some simple and
pungent observations to make. He
said:
Nobody ever wins every
battle in a war Wars are not
pleasant things. and when there
is war. somebody always gets
hurt. No Navy in the world can
stop every thrust, no more than
Q fighter in a ring can block
every punch. The ability of a
country to take it in a war Is
OF utmost Importance. The
enemy is bound to slip through
here and there and deal out
punishment. A nation in war
must learn to take its reverseS,
aS well as victories. But the
tight is won over the long pull
by the country with the most
weight, the greatest number of
ships. the best men and officers.
the best craftsmanship, the
greatest efficiency.
CITES BRITISH CASE
"The experience of England
IN the last war is typical. En-
emy cruisers got through and
Shelled coast towns and then
escaped. Enemy submarines did
countless harm to shipping.
Battleships were torpedoed. But
they had the dogged determina-
ton to accept the reverses, stick
1t out, and win the decisive
naval battle of the war.
The purpose Of the United
States Navy is to stop any enemy
force outside and beat them be-
fore they ever get close"
Admiral Bloch was not prepared
to discuss the problem that will
beSet the fleet in the forthcoming
six-week maneuverS. But he had
this to say about them:
There is no portent to any.
thing we do. There is always
an idea rife that we are mys-
terious and a lot smarter than
we are. We are really simple
people in way. track minds.
We want to learn how to work
our ships. All our exercises are
training exercises.
WHY MANEUVERS?
eve go far out to sea, be-
cause there Is a lot of water
there. We go into tropical tenn
peratures, where the sea is
smooth, where there are soft
hreezes and where there are
typhoons, to places where it is
cold and strong winds blow. to
try out our men and our equip
ment under every possible con-
dition.
I'VE exercise our guns in
smooth water and get tc think
ing we are pretty good. So
then we go up somewhere where
there are high winds and rough
water and exercise them there,
Just to make sure that We are
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