The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-10-24

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number of ships which have become
average IN the interim, we now
have In commission 1853 underage
combatart vessels. Had we not tax
en- this timely action our defense
situation today would be hopeless,
for, at the rate we were building,
we would have only about IS under
age combatant ships and our ship
building industry would not be
geared to production needs in light
Of existing conditions. In addition
to those ships already commits
stoned, we have building SO COM
Blatant vessels many Of which are In
advanced stages Of construction
and 10 more are provided for in the
1914 appropriation.
Combat Ships
'"eWhen our present authorized
combatant ship tonnage Of 1,724,-
480 tons is reached, we viii have an
llnderage navy almost one million
tons larger than in 1888 when the
score was but $4,000 tons. We need
every ton Of this authorized
strength and we are most fortunate
that we started In time to make
possible its realization before 1t is
too late"
/ would like to emphasize again
that this speech giving an accurate
history Of our. naval situation over
the last 20 years, was delivered by
a Republican member of the Naval
Affairs Committee. It well illus
trates the terrible neglect of our
armed forces during the period in
which our people insisted on depen-
dence on treaties and disarmament
for our protection. It shows also
our progress in rearmament from
the beginning of our efforts in this
direction up to the great accelera-
ton Of this program caused by
events abroad this spring, under
which we have provided for. fur
Their increase of 70 percent in our
naval strength, bringing the total
number Of naval vessels to 7O1.
Our rearmament, particularly that
in air and mechanical forces and in
industrial preparedness has not
gone ahead as rapidly as I have adj
vocated. Real progress however has
been made in all of the services as
well as in industrial preparation.
We should not minimize the ire
mendous task which faces us in our
Transition from total ignoring of
preparedness in the postwar days
to our present program for total de-
Tense.
Neither should we, during this
political campaign, attempt to paint
the picture blacker than it is in
| fact.
Aerial Strength
Our strength In the air has de-
veloped in a manner parallel with
the development of our land and
naval forces. The naval air force
had been kept up in proportion to
the strength of the surface fleet
until the great expansion program
OF this year which is now under
way. Planes on hand in the navy
IN 1888 totaled 933, today they total
1,795, and 5000 are authorized and
most Of these are being contracted
for. The Army air strength had been
set after considerable study by
boards Of experts first at a level OF
1900 planes Of all types, and later
at about $500 additional, giving a
total authorization of little over
400 planes. The Army actually had
on hand, however, only 1,497 planes
IN 1888, whereas today it has 1900
planes Of all types with some $4,000
under contract. Between the Army
and the Navy, contracts have been
signed for more than 10000 new
airplanes. It is of course true that
a great expansion in the air force
as well as in the Navy or in any
force which uses large quantities of
highly specialized equipment is i'm
possible until the industrial capacity
to produce that equipment has first
been enlarged. The long period of
neglect Of our armed forces result
ed, as we have seen. in great les
SEEMING Of available shipbuilding ca
pacity. It also resulted in the de-
struction Of the greater part of our
capacity for making explosives, and
1t resulted in our failure to provide
any capacity for greater expansion
OF either shipbuilding, munitions
manufacturing or airplane manu-
featuring programs. Only last year
the Administration requested au-
thority and funds to build 5000
planes for the Army, not only be-
cause 1t was felt that those planes
were needed for active and reserve
squadrons then in existence or to
De formed, but also because the
great expansion in manufacturing
activity necessary to produce those
planes would greatly increase our
capacity to turn out planes in time
OF emergency. Unfortunately, the
program met stiff opposition, some
OF IL based on sincere belief that
no such air force would be neces-
sary for the defense of this country
and some Of 1t possibly inspired by
partisan resistance to the program
because OF Its sponsorship. The
number appropriated for was re-
duced to $500. Fortunately, how
ever, we were able to defeat an eff
fort on the part of the political op-
position to Stagger the production
Of these planes over three or four
years so that increase in plant ca
pacity for their manufacture would
be unnecessary.
Plant Expansion
AS we all have seen, the limit .of
authorization over which we dis
agreed SO short a time ago now
seems ridiculously small. The plant
expansion which was started in or
der to meet the requirements OF
that program, is not sufficient for
our present needs, but no one can
doubt that that expansion paved the
way for and mad possible the ire
mendous expansion now under way
to meet the far greater present
needs Of the industry, for capacity
to produce, both for our own needs
and for export.
] need not remind you Of the low