Evening star., 1940-10-21


vealed. This correspondent has just
come into possession OF the full text
of letter written by the Secretary
of the Navy on October last in
response to questions asked by Sen
ator Byrd Of Virginia, Democrat, in
which the startling and sensational
admission is made that completion
Of our two-ocean Navy in schedule
time. as hitherto announced in the
press, cannot be expected because OF
ma unfortunate shortage in arm0I
plate production.
The letter was forwarded by Sem
ator Byrd to constituent in Vir-
ginia who had caused the questions
to be asked because of his growing
anxiety over the armor plate de-
bacle The Official data, prepared by
the Navy Departments technical eX-
perts and transmitted by the Sec
retary of the Navy, with a brief
covering letter emitting any COM
ment of his own, reveal a sad case
of governmental neglect extending
over a period of years. 1t proves
that while the plant was closed down
between 1922 and 1880, due to the
naval treaty limitations, nothing
Eas done about it from the time
Hitler came into power and began
making trouble in the world in 1888
until 1889 and then in such linn
tied basis that America will have
lost two precious years in getting
under way in armor plate produc-
ton. The incident is also an IRON
ical travesty on the recent dema-
goguery issuing from Capitol Hill
and the White House about the
need for communicating plants.
S35,000,0O0 Spent on Plant.
For here is a plant which the
Government itself built and in which
it had spent about S35 100000 up
to the time it was reopened in June,
1899, and then in great haste-When
1t was really too late-the job was
turned over to private manufac-
turers who leased the plant. But
they, in the meantime, having been
scared away by the Governments
entry into the armor plate field,
had for many years conducted very
little research because they had
hardly any Government contracts.
AS consequence, German research
Is believed to be away ahead OF
ours, and, what is worse, America
finds itself in no position to meet
suddenly increased needs for the
most vital part of warship-armor
plate.
The official memorandum Of the
Navy Department sent to Senator
Byrd tells the story thus:
Expansion Of the countrys armor
capacity was begun in 1888 to meet
the requirements Of the building
program then authorized and to
date armor requirements have been
met"
This means merely that for the
relatively small building program
authorized in previous years the
Navy has enough armor plate avail
able, but as to the so-called II per
cent increase in the Navy author
lied last year and the 10 per cent
increased Navy authorized this year.
the administration has been caught
mapping. though it possessed plant
Of its own in which only few mil
lion dollars would have been needed
to save the situation. For this mat
ter involves only about S46,000 900,
as contrasted with billions spent for
w. P. A. and P. w. A. and even for
national defense requirements, but
the failure to provide that small
sum and to work out satisfactory
arrangement, putting private manu-
facturers as we'll as the Govern
ment plant into operation, costs us
now a delay of more than 18 months
at a perilous time in world history,
The Navy's letter continues:
Further expansion was under
taken when the II per cent increase
Gin the Navy was authorized, and
more is now being undertaken 10
with