Evening star., 1940-06-23
AN-Americon Fleet Moneuvers
Urged for Hemisphere Defense
Novies Of Lutin Nations Would Make
Effective Fighting Force, Eliot Says

I guns; three modern light cruisers,
IL destroyers, three submarines.
Brazil: Two battleships Of $4,000
tons, armed with 12-inch guns; nine
destroyers (some Of these may not
DE completed yeti, four submarines.
Auxiliaries, one submarine depot
ship, one oiler.
Chile: One battleship of $4,000
tons, armed with 14-inch guns; six
destroyers, nine submarines. Auxili-
aries, one submarine depot ship, two
oilers.
Colombia: Two destroyers.
Mexico: -Four escort vessels.
Peru: Two destroyers, four subma-
rines.
Total: Five battleships, three light
cruisers, 81 destroyers, 20 subma-
rines, four escort vessels, five auxiN-
aries.
Smaller Ships Could Be Used.
In addition. smaller maneuvers
with special attention to anti-sub-
marine patrol, convoy duties, and
the like, might include some of the
smaller and older ships of the navies
mentioned, as well as ships from
Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay
and others.
The maneuver force as mentioned
is on the whole (save for cruisers)
well-balanced group which could
be usefully worked together as a
unit. There are some older cruis-
ers available (three in Chile, two
IN Brazil, two in Peru which might
be used to make up the deficiency
IN this class If thought advisable.
The two Brazilian cruisers might
well be purchased by the United
States and converted into anti-air-
craft ships as beginning of ex-
permeriments with this type, OF
which our Navy now has none. They
are not dissimilar in characteristics
to the British C class cruisers, re-
Gently converted for this purpose.
The command of the combined
force might. by mutual agreement,
be rotated amongst the three prin-
cipal navies concerned, while the
subordinate type commands (bat-
tleshlps, cruisers, destroyers, sub
marines, training) could be appor-
toned amongst the participating
navies and also rotated. Rotation
could be so arranged as to permit
the completion of each complete
phase of the maneuver without
change IN commands Cooperation
OF naval aircraft from shore bases
should also be sought; several of
the navles mentioned possess such
aircraft, though none has a car
rier.
Maneuvers Only One Phase.
Such problems as communications
should receive preliminary study be-
fore the maneuver commenced. If
an advanced base problem were to
be included, cooperation OF selected
detachments of military forces
might be obtained. Brazil is the
only Latin American country which
has . marine corps.
1t may be pointed out that this
sort OF cooperative training with
units of the United States fleet will
AAA0AS Viz AdVdl CUllGg lUuC1Ou OF
Latin America to hemisphere de-
fense much more Immediately avail
able, in case of need, and that the
forces enumerated will be a SUBJ
stantial addition to the defense Of
the Atlantic against any naval
threat from Europe.
But such naval maneuvers are
only one phase Of the cooperative
defense measures which should be
undertaken. Arrangements should
be made at once for the accrediting
to every Latin American capital Of
a United States military mission,
including an air section, and of
naval missions to every Latin Amer
lean country possessing a navy.
Per contra, every non American
military, air and naval mission in
Latin America should go home at
once. Indeed, one subject for dis
cussion at the forthcoming Pam
American Conference might well be