Evening star., 1940-07-07
Atlantic Control Is War Stake
For u. S., Maj. Eliot Holds
Maintenance of British Fleet Necessary
To Offset Axis Power, He Declares
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

10 OTTSeC AXIS rowe
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.
During the past week, we have
had several useful lessons.
We have seen that the British
government sets so high value
on sea power that it was willing,
even at the risk of turning a former
ally into an enemy, to take the
most drastic measures to prevent
acquisition by Germany of addi-
tional ships.
We have seen the tremendous
moral value in war, let alone ma
terial value, of a bold and resolute
policy which is not handicapped
by refusal to take risks.
We have seen to what abiect sub
mission proud and warlike nation
may be reduced by the new strategy
of terror" once its organized re-
sisting power has been broken and
the lives of its citizens are at the
mercy of modern technique of
conquest as ruthless as that of Jen-
ghiz Khan or Timur, and far more
efficiently equipped and admins
tered.
We have had laid at rest the
rumors which have been going about
to the effect that Britain now in
tends to sue for peace in her turn.
We have been told that Nazi Ger
many does not recognize the basic
concept of the Monroe Doctrine,
and that Germany sees no reason
why some European nations, and
not others, should have possessions
in the Western Hemisphere.
Warning to Latin America.
We have read in Herr Hitlers own
newspaper, the Voelkischer Beo-
bachter, a warning to our Latin
American neighbors on the "unsat-
lsfactory" attitude Of their press,
with a grim forecast that Germany
will never forget where she found
friendship, and where criticism,
when it comes time to adjust the
future relations of Germany and
Latin America.
We have been brought face to
lace with the possibility that. with
the expressed German attitude
toward Latin America what it is.
the French possessions in this
hemisphere, and presumably those
OF the Netherlands and Denmark
as we'll. may, under the control of
German-directed puppet govern
ments in the home states. become
centers of Nazi influence and in
trlgue in the New World-to saw
nothing of becoming naval and air
bases. And this may be done with
out any change of flag or transfer
OF sovereignty: without, that is, anv
outward violation of the Monroe
Doctrine.
We have seen, from French state
ments, that the Germans never
once abandoned their pressure to
obtain control of the French fleet
despite their promises and assur-
ances that it would not be used
against Great Britain in this war.
Taking those promises at face value
Tor what purpose was it intended
that it should be used?
Inescapable Conclusions
Coming over these lessons. adding
them to what we know of our own
military position, we come to GER
tain inescapable conclusions,
nno }c that
this war is the command of the
maritime communications of the
Atlantic Ocean. That command
rests still in British hands. thanks
10 the vigorous action of the Brit
ish government. But it will do so
only as long as the British fleet
continues to exist, as long as it
still has bases adequate to its opera
ton and maintenance, and as long
as Britain is able to maintain that
freedom of action which is in
dlspensable to the free EMPLOYMENT
of sea power.
But we must also recognize that
command OF the Atlantic Ocean is
vital to our own security. We can
exercise that command ourselves
as against the present combined
fleets OF the axis; we cannot exer-
else 1t as against the fleets the axis
Will have next year. plus the Brit
lsh fleet. We cannot build or ac-
quire from any source, in time, the
warshtps needed for this purpose
1t is, therefore, necessary for us to
maintain the British fleet in being
If we can.
More, it is also necessary for us
to see to 1t that the control of that
fleet does not pass into hands which
may be hostile to us-if we can.
Question Is Risk.
These propositions are self-evi-
dent. They scarcely require argu-
ment. The question to be weighed
is whether we can do anything ef-
fective to contribute to this neces-
sary end without taking risks which
are unjustified by the hope of sue
cess.
Remember that we take risks any,
way. If we do nothing, we take
the risk that the British fleet. in
the hands of a Nazified British
government under control of a ruth
less German master, or in the hands
OF German officers and men, may
be employed to further German am
bitions in the New World which will
bring us into deadly danger. This