The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-05-19

History shows that the de-
cisive factor in all great wars in
variably has been sea power"
wrote Rear Admiral Clark H.
Woodward, U.S.N, recently.
Think back over the major con-
flicts of history and you'll real
ize the truth of that. When
brakes fleet destroyed the Span
ish Armada, he eliminated one
of the greatest threats to English
security and safety. When Mel
son broke the back of French
sea power at Trafalgar, he as
sured Napoleon's ultimate de-
feat. Japan, under the brilliant
Admiral Togo, made herself a
world power to be reckoned
with when her fleet routed the
Russian navy at Port Arthur.
And in World War Number l, it
was the British fleet, under Jel-
licoe, which forced the German
navy to bottle itself up in port
after the battle of Jutland, and
SO made it possible to tighten
the blockade which proved to be
one of the decisive factors in
that sanguinary conflict.
Sea power has always made
world history-and it is for that
reason that a number of mill
tary authorities tend to the be-
lief that Germany's great sue
cesses on land, important as
they are, cannot win the war
for her no matter how far they
may be carried. Germany's air
power is toady the best in Eu-
rope, and it will be at least a
year before British-American
production can really rival hers.
Her armies are supreme, in size,
in equipment, and in general
ship. But Germany has no fleet
in any way comparable to Brit
aims. The submarine is a dan
gerous weapon, but it is extreme
ly limited, and it has been prov
en- time and again that suffi-
cient surface power is superior
to undersea power. Italy had a
large fleet at the start of this
war, but it proved sadly deficient
in fighting quality, and a large
part of it has been destroyed.
German shipyards have been
working overtime. but it seems
certain that their production has
been held to a minimum by Brit
ish air raids on Kiel, Hamburg,
and other ports.
British sea power is tremend-
ously strained. Her ships must
police every ocean in the world.
They must attempt to bring her
merchant ships home with the
supplies that are needed to feed
her population and arm her
fighting forces. That is why
British hopes are today pinned
to a considerable extent on the
American Navy. British strate-
gists are confident that the full
participation of our Navy would
assure ultimate German defeat.
The American Navy is the
largest and most powerful in the
world, according to such au-
thorities as Admiral Woodward
Five years from now, if plans &c
according to schedule, it will also
be the fastest navy, and will be
infinitely more powerful. And
it is the one branch of our fight
ing services which is ready to
60 to war right now, if the call
Is made.
Admiral Woodward believe:
that If we went Ito war the job
of our Navy in the Atlantic
would be fourfold. First. we
would occupy and defend all At
lantic islands on the "other side"
both to forestall their seizure by
the axis, and to strike at invad.
ers moving out from Europe
Second, we would blockade ports
on the Spanish and French West
African Coast. Third. we would
cooperate fully with the British
navy in convoy work Fourth
we would have to keep large
forces about the Panama Cana
to defend it from attack.
In the Pacific. a fleet would