Evening star., 1940-12-29
Defense
Continued From First Page.)

Of the orders necessary to carry out
the s17,692 ,227 $50 defense program
approved by Congress during 1910
The magnitude of this program can
be grasped by comparison with the
estimated cost of all the products
OF the automobile industry in 1899
The figure for that vast mass pro-
ductlon system was S2,300,000 900.
Defense of the Panama Canal and
the vital industrial areas along the
East Coast has been simplifled by
acquisition of the right to lease
air and naval bases in British ter
r1tory guarding the Atlantic and
Caribbean approaches to this CONT
nent. 1t will take months and even
years to develop these bases fully,
but floating filling stations may be
anchored there now to service sub
marine and plane patrols.
Army Reorganized.
The Army has been reorganized in
line with European developments,
its manpower increased greatly and
the Nations first peace-time system
of compulsory military training
geared to produce 100000 citizen
soldiers in the coming year.
The President has concentrated
authority over defense production
in a four-man council headed by
William S. Knudsen, the production
genius borrowed from General
Motors. This group has appealed
to industry and labor to roll up
their sleeves" Few persons close
to the defense effort doubt that
the councils creation will speed
vital decisions and impress the pub
lie with what Mr.. Knudsen calls
"the terrible urgency" for speed
At the end of this year of spread
ing violence among nations, 16
months after the start of the war
in Europe, the country's different
fighting forces shape up as follows:
The Fleet.
Two cruisers, one aircraft carrier
and 18 destroyers were completed
during the year. In addition, about
35 destroyers were converted to spe-
cial purposes-fast transports to
serve as fire eXtinguishers" in case
of attack on this hemisphere, small
seaplane tenders and the like
Fifty destroyers of World War vim
tage went to England in the trade
for the right to lease base sites.
The number of battleships, plane
carriers, cruisers, destroyers and
submarines at the start of the year
was 268 built and 78 building. At the
end of the year, after the destroyer
total had been reduced by the trans
fers to Britain and the conversions
to special purposes, the figures were
321 built and 370 building.
The first of II new battleships
now started will probably be ready
in 1941.
One of the most important de-
velopments of the last year, from
the standpoint of immediate pre-
paredness, is the increase in ships
compliments from IS per cent at the
beginning of the year to point near
100 per cent. The new Congress will
undoubtedly be asked for authority
to increase this to lis per cent, so
that trained seamen will be ready
for additional units of the two-ocean
navy as fast as they are completed
Already, the man power of the
Navy and the Marine Corps has
been increased from 1884 regular
officers and men and a small num-
ber of reservists on active duty last
January 1 to 217,249 regulars and
26,419 reservists on December /,
1910.
In addition to the warship con-
struction program. the Navy is buy
ing and converting into auxiliary
vessels large numbers of merchant
ships, yachts and other vessels.
Air Forces.
Total plane production in the
United States at the beginning of
1910 was $50 a month. In recent
weeks Mr.. Knudsen reported that
the hoped-for production of 1000
planes in January of the new year
would have to be scaled down 80
per cent to be correct.
Of the actual output, Britain is
now taking the lions share of the
tactical planes-flghters, bombers
and certain observation planes.
Aside from the Governments policy
of giving the besieged country all
aid short of war" the reason for
this is the release of immediate de-