The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
THE
WASHINGTON
SCENE
BY HENRY ION

WASHINGTON-( OPP Defense of
the U. S. demands that this country
keep out of the European war.
This was the declaration here re-
Gently of the senate naval affairs COM
mittee, made in an official report to
the U. S. senate urging additional
construction of naval vessels.
The documents, apparently written
prior to President Roosevelt's arms
message to congress and before the
| headlines told the story of allied de-
| feats in Holland, Belgium and France,
seems curiously out of place and out
of date in the midst of current con-
gressional discussion.
Coming from a group such as the
lsenate naval affairs committee it con-
|stituted severe blow to the armchair
|strategists who contend that American
defense requires the sending of an ex-
peditionary force to Europe, or at the
very least, the dispatch of the U. S.
navy.
'The war in Europe" says the re-
port, sis not in military sense sim
liar to the last world war. At that
time Germany had large surface fleet
and her submarines seriously threat
ened allied shipping
"The British battle fleet was kept
concentrated to meet the threat of the
German fleet. American naval effort
consisted chiefly in fighting the sub
marine menace, protecting allied ship
ping and troop transports
"At the present time Germany does
not have large surface fleet Her
chief weapons against allied sea pow
er are aircraft and submarines. We
are doing now practically everything
possible to bolster allied sea and air
power, as we are stepping up Ameri-
can production of aircraft and ship
ping them to the allies.
Some naval experts are of the opin-
ion that due to the superiority of the
allies in surface craft it would not
change the chances of an
allied victory if we did send our fleet
to operate in European waters.
I'VE are not prepared to participate
in the European war as we do not
possess the necessary weapons to
make our efforts effective. We should
not consider our naval needs with this
objective in view.
"Some of our best informed naval
experts are of the opinion that the
j. S. should never again engage in
,ther than a naval war outside this
hemisphere and that American sol
liers should never again be landed
lpon foreign continent except to de-
end the naval or air bases from which
t may be necessary for our fleet and
ur air forces to operate.
Some naval experts point out that
he view that we ought to fight now
When we would have allies rather
han take the chance of having to
light victorious totalitarian states
lushed with victory at later date, is
ased upon an incorrect eva1uation
f actual military facts and military
istory.
mo qualified expert, or student of
istory, would contend that Great
ritain faces defeat until she loses
ommand of the sea and air ap-
reaches to the British isles and her
ital trade routes.
Should Germany's submarines and
lrcraft succeed in overcoming the
realty superior fleets of Great Bri-
Tin and France and destroying the
ritich ,r
IN to infer that they could probably
so overcome the U. S. fleet if we
ltered the war and sent our fleet
Id aircraft to operate in European
aters within ready reach of short
nge aircraft and numerous small sub
arines.
eff it is assumed that British sea
,wer will be destroyed or that the
mbined British and French navies
mot retain command of the sea in
Id around the British Isles and the
asst of France, the inference must be
ade that the U. S. fleet, operating
ON bases in this hemisphere could
It command the sea approaches to
ance and supply American expedi-
mary forces with food, supplies and
uipment
ION the other hand, should Ger
any's submarines and aircraft sue
ed in overcoming the navy of
ance, neighboring nation, and of
eat Britain, nation separated
I'M Germany by the narrow reaches
the North sea and thus within
ady reach of short-range aircraft
d numerous. submarines, it would
no means follow that German sub
-rines and aircraft could overcome
} U. S. navy in a similar fashion
)vided the U. S. navy operated from
home bases to keep hostile forces
from our shores
1t is an axiom of military strategy
It military power can always be ex-
Used more efficiently and to much
ater effect within a reasonable
ius of action than it can by fight
thousands of miles away