The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-05-14

Washington.
This information describes IN
efficiency, stupidity and lack Of
coordination almost beyond belief,
Also II reveals that Hore- Belisha,
depoSed War Minister Of tho
the Chamberlain cabinet, was ABB
Solutely right In advocating re-
organization Of the army.
Here are some OF the unbeliev.
able boners pulled by the British
Army IN Norway:
/. When the British landed NJ
Andalsnes, they put ashore 400
anti.tank guns, but not q single
round OF ammunition for them.
The ammunition was down In the
hold Of another ship.
In short, the British have not
yet remedied the mistake they
made IN tho Boer War 1890.
They learned then that when o
landing party goes ashore, II must
DO equipped with everything II
needs, ready TO 40 into action the
minute " sets foot on land.
The u. s. Army made the same
mistake In the Spanish American
War, but has remedied II since, The
British, however, dumped their
goods on the shore OF Norway,
then proceeded TO sort them out
and distribute them.
GIFT 10 RIBBONS
2.--When the British landed
two battalions at Namsos, they
were without O single anti-tank or
aircraft gun. Yet their COM
manders knew they had 10 face
German forces equipped with the
latest tanks and supported by
airplanes. Az u result, the British
were cut 10 pieces. One battalion
lost a. per cent OF Its men, The
other 30 per cent.
3. There was absolutely no CO.
ordination between British land
and air forces. The Royal Air
Force Is completely independent
Of the Army and Navy. This means
that today, " a British army COM
mander IN France wants more
air support, he has TO telegraph
back 10 London, which then gives
orders 10 the Air Force. And
what does q pundit sitting at @
desk In London know about ac-
tual needs In the front line
trenches?
In contrast, the German COM
mander, General Won Falken-
horst was In complete comamnd
Of German naval, dir and army
units. lie was also In command
Of communications, 40 no mes
sage could 90 back 10 Berlin
without his permission.
MILITARY JEALOUSY
The same jealousy exists be-
tween British air force and the
navy which once existed between
u. s. armed services. For In
stance, the Royal Air Force limits
the number OF planes TO DC car
ricd on airplane carriers (even
though they come untler the
navy, and failed to replace those
destroyed during normal pre-war
operations. Result was that the
plane carriers operating off Nor
way were short OF planes.
According TO U. s. military ex-
perts, all this Is an outgrowth Of
the inertia and caste system Of
the British army. Officers get
rank through birth and social
position, not ability. There Is
more emphasis on tradition than
efficiency. "lf II was good
enough for my father II Is good
enough for me- has been the
watchword OF the British military
(perhaps also OF the Chamberlain
CabineU.
Leslie Hore- Belisha started to
root out some of these evils, but
did not 60 nearly far enough. He
only irritated the military nobil-
ity, without getting at the real
weaknesses.
BABY SENATOR
Today's Tuesdays primary in
West Virginia marks the end OF
one OF the bitterest feuds In the
Senate - that between able Sen
ator Matthew Nicely and baby SEN
ator Rush Dew Holt.
They have not spoken q single
word to each other for over two
years. When Nicely took the oath
Of office after reelection. Holt
refused to walk down the corri-
der with him. as Is customary,
while he placed his hand upon the
Bible.
But today, they are united In
opposing the West Virginia state
House gang, Nicely running for