Evening star., 1941-03-02
U. S. Navy Moy
Decide War
By ODen L. Scott.

NAV prove to be the United States Navy,
the worlds most powerful. 1t is sitting
on the side lines during struggle that
will determine who is to rule the sea
lanes and, incidentally, the world.
There are more and more signs that
the United States Navy will not be idle
forever while the hard-pressed British
Navy tries to ward off the German, 1tal-
ian and Japanese Navies and air forces.
One of these signs is found in lend
lease plans to open American naval
bases and harbors to British ships-with
its corollary that British naval bases
would be open to American ships. An
other is found In the urgency with which
the American Fleets are being brought to
full war strength. A third is suggested
by the wall of secrecy that now is being
drawn about feet movements.
One American Fleet, the most power
full single naval force available to any
navy. is at Hawaii in the Pacific. An
other fleet, less powerful, but far from
negligible, is patrolling the neutrality
belt of the Atlantic-on the edge of
trouble, but still avoiding it. A third
feet, of very modest size but strong
enough to be bothersome, is operating
out of the Philippines.
These American Fleets represent the
most powerful aggregation Of unused
weapons in the world today. In use,
they probably can transform the pres
ent war Out of use, with British de-
feat, they may become of vastly less
Importance and may possess less relative
strength, owing to the fact that they
would be forced to face the combined
navies of other nations without the GER
tainty of support from the British Navy.
These considerations enter into deci-
sions now taking shape. All decisions
for using the Navy may stop short Of
declaration of war. There are two jobs
to be done. One is to make sure that
war materials produced in the United
States reach England. The second is to
see that Japan does not gain control of
vital rubber and tin supplies in the South
Pacific.
The United States has decided to aid
the British in their fight against Adolf
Hitler If aid is to be extended to Brit
ain, the implication is that the United
States will do so effectively. The only
way to do this is to make sure that sea
lanes are kept open so ships can ply be-
tween this country and Britain. This
requires more naval strength than the
British possess.
found to help Britain move goods across
the Atlantic. 1t does the British little
good to see an American naval patrol
force moving up and down the middle
of the Atlantic 1t would do the British
an immense amount of good to have this
and forth across the Atlantic ocean.
Whether that force of American ships
is manned by American sailors or by
British tars probably makes no great
difference in the result, but does make
a difference in the technical relationship
of the United States to this war In
either event there would be real work
lOr american naval vessels.
Regarding Japan, the problem is much
simpler while the British Isles hold out
1t does the British an immense amount
of good just to have the main American
Fleet at Hawaii. So long as the feet
is there, Japan will be kept guessing and
will be restrained. She knows that any
move which precipitates trouble with
the United States would also precipitate
eventual defeat for the Japanese. What
Japan apparently expects is that Ger
many will conquer the British Isles and
that the United States then will be
forced to sacrifice its interests in the
Pacific to make sure of its defenSes in
the Atlantic. In that event the Pacific
Fleet would move to the Atlantic to
prepare to resist any German thrust
toward South America.
Whether the japanese are guessing
right in their present calculations de-
pends on two factors: First, on the ques-
tion of Britain's ability to survive with
American help. and, second, on the ques-
tion of the disposition of che British
feet In event that England does not sur
vive, but sizable portion of the fleet
does. In this second event, the British
Fleet might take over in the Pacific and
the American Fleet might take over in
the Atlantic
However, any way the situation shapes
up, it appears there will be a great deal
OF work for the American Navy.
Probably the least trying task would
appear If the British are able to keep
up the fight after the attack that is ex-
pected to be launched soon by Hitler.
In that event, the American Navy might
be asked to do no more than permit the
transfer of S or 10 destroyers and
other patrol craft each month to the
British for use by them in convoy work.
Also the Japanese might be kept in
check just by seeing the American Fleet
at Hawaii.
If the Japanese were not restrained
by that sight, and decided to jeopardize
vital American interests, they would be
a pushover in any long war.
The reason for this statement is that
Japan lacks almost every raw material
vital in the waging of modern war. She
lacks oil and iron and copper and alumni
mum and cotton and timber and many
other materials. She lacks real aircraft
and machine tool industries 1t is true
that she has built up huge stocks of ma
terial through vast purchases in the
United States during recent years, but