The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-03

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 For giving the British all the breaks possible, it seems incredible that they can hold out against the poison gas, intensive air bom- bardment, and all the other mod ern mechanics of war the Nazis are mobilizing to hurl against them.
 This pessimistic forecast is talk en despite the fact that the Bri- tish position has improved ma terially. The confidential surveys made by U. s. observers show that the German preponderance in the air is now only II to in fighter planes, although it remains 12 to 1 in carrying power in bombers. The British naturally have con- centrated more on fighter planes in order to ward off bombers, and until recently have had fewer bombers to attack Germany.
 Official reports also show a great superiority on the part of British pilots, and a dogged, undaunted courage. Nevertheless, the com- parative air strength is still over- whelmingly in Hitler's favor.
 However, it is at sea that the British have suffered most sev- erely. Thet censored press cables have revealed only fragments of the terrific punishment taken by British merchant vessels, and also by their destroyer conveys.
 In fact, the outcome of the Battle of Britain may depend largely upon destrOyers. For it is this type of vessel which has been exposed to air bombard- ment and submarines more than any other part of the British Navy. In recent weeks the toll has been so heavy that an aver age of one destroyer 8 day has
 been either sunk or damaged. The damaging of vessel is just as effective forl the time being as sinking it, because it has to be laid up in drydOck.
 How serious have been British losses is shown by the fact that its Navy started the war with 183 destroyerS and now has fewer than 100. All of which indicates the rapid success of the new NaI strategy of starving Britain out. U. S. DESTROYER STRENGTH
 This situation has led to the question now being gravely dis cussed in the State, War and Navy Departments, whether the United States would be serving its own best interests by selling 50 or 100 of its World War destroyers to Great Britain.
 The United States now has more destroyers than any other two navieS put together total of 238. Of these, 123 were built dur ing or immediately after the World War, but have been kept in excellent condition. Their engines have been packed in grease, and every two or three years half of them were placed on sea duty, while the other half were laid up. Thus they continue to be valuable fighting ships today.
 Inside the Navy Department, many of the higher-ups believe it would be wise policy for the United States to let Great Bri-
 tain have fifty or 100 of these old destroyers. They look at it
 not from 8 sentimental view point, because the U. s. Navy, if anything, is anti-British. But from the hard boiled question of
 Western Hemisphere defense, Navy chiefs figure that our best defense is to make sure the Bri- tish do not fall. U. S. MAGINOT LINE
 For if you study naval strategy, you will see how carefully the British Navy has picked its bases, and how true was that famous boast Britannia Rules the Waves. What the British did, years ago was to secure all the outlets into the Atlantic. From Capetown at the tip end of Africa to Gibraltar at the mouth of the Mediter- reanean, they control the coast of of France, Belgium and Holland, and can dominate the North Sea and the mouth of the Baltic.
 In other words, the British Isles constitute sort of marine Maginot Line, and U. S. naval strategists figure that once that line is broken it will be iimpos- slble Co stop an unfrlendIy fleet from steamlng down into Che