Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-03-15
Navy Second in
Under-Age Tons
Comparison of Sea Forces
Shows Strength of
United States.

WASHINGTON. = The United
States navy as Of November Is
ranked second in total "under-age"
combatant tonnage, but fifth in the
number of under-age ships, the de-
partment revealed in making public
photographs, as support for the con-
tention Of Admiral Harold r. Stark,
chief of naval operations, that a big
navy is needed to repel possible
hostile coalition. In under-age ton
mage our navy on November Is was
smaller by about $50 tons than the
combined fleets of Germany and
Japan. In number of new ships
Japan and Germany had 305 units
compared with $50 for the United
States.
The principal reason for our low
rating in total number of combatant
ships is said to be the preponderant
number of submarines and destroy
ers in some of the other navies
where such craft are of particular
value.
Possible Coalition Weighed.
It is the possible coalition situa-
ton which stands out more than any
other one thing. In the event japan
and Germany allied themselves and
attacked us simultaneously, devel-
opment envisioned in some quarters,
the United States would be able to
put on the sea modern under-age
units of total tonnage of 1,021 ,270
tons as against a combined tonnage
of such units for Japan and Ger
many of 1,021 ,451 tons, or virtually
an equal amount.
In battleships the Japanese have
nine and the Germans five, all I'M
der-age, total of IA, the combined
tonnage being 4,070. In number
of such units the United States also
has IA.
In aircraft carriers the United
States has in commission five units
of an aggregate tonnage, all under
age, of 900, as against six for
Japan of a combined tonnage of
113, 470 and two for Germany of 3d.
500, or ISL $40 for Japanese-Ger-
man coalition.
The United States has in commits
sion Is heavy and IS light cruisers
Of total tonnage of 294,875 tons,
while the Japanese have IL heavy
and IS light units Of 205, 1855 ton
mage. The German strength is 55,-
800 tons, of which two units are of
the heavy and six of the light cate
CORY. The superiority of the United
States, measured against Germany
and Japan, is 1920 tons.
Under-Age Destroyers.
In under-age destroyers the
American total is SIS units of an ag-
gregate tonnage of $3.50 tons as
against "a destroyers of total ton
mage of 113, 476 for Japan and "a, of
1855 tons for Germany. Add Italy
and the tonnage is increased by SO
under-age destroyers of an aggre-
gate tonnage of ITO, 107 tons.
In the matter of under-age SUBJ
marine strength the United States
has 81 units of Al, 100 tons while
Japan has IS of So, 432 and Germany,
which features smaller units, has II
of 81 1892 tons. The combined SUBJ
marine strength, measured in under
age units only, of Germany and
Japan is 84,190 tons, more than
twice that of the United States.
New tonnage actually under con-
struction for the United States, in
Guiding eight battleships, totals
491, 1850 tons. The known Japanese
total, including four battleships, is
268, $3.50 tons, while that of Germany,
including three battleships and
about a hundred submarines, is
266,988 tons, combined tonnage ex-
ceeding that for the United States
by more than $4,000 tons.
For Great Britain the building
total, including nine battleships, is
7S0,095 tons; for France, including
four battleships, 1852 tons, and
for Italy, including four battleships,
"a, $50 tons.