Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-27
Modern Navy
Seems Tough
TO Destroy
II Takes Lot o" Killing
Before Really Dead
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

THERE is one encouraging de-
l. velopment in our beginning
naval war and one not so en-
couraging.
The first is the apparent ten
acity of life of modern naval
craft. 1t isn't permitted TO go
beyond the censored news. but
the very casualty list of the
destroyer Kearny indicates that
she must have had a terrible
hole blown in her. Yet she
reached port.
Apparently her water-tight
compartments and closed bulk
heads saved her. notwithstand-
ing that the nature of her casu-
alties hints that some men were
imprisoned and smothered or
drowned in them.
Some terribly wounded British
ships are in American shipyards
being repaired with remarkably
swift efficiency. Their names
and locations have generally
been Loyalty withheld by the
press, but the facts are obvious
to any interested local observers.
That the damage - some of
them was not deadly seems in
credible, but more incredible still
is the fact that they were some
how brought limping here
sometimes half way around the
world.
The answer appears to be
much the same AS it was in the
case of the kearny. They may
not be invulnerable TO attack by
submarine and aerial torpedoes
but they certainly take a lot of
killing before they are really
dead.
IRON all that can be learned
Il that can be permissibly
printed. the determination. reso-
luton and heroism of these navy
men has. rarely been equaled
and seldom surpassed.
The published story of the
Bismarck. buried across the
Atlantic by overwh m i n &
strength and finally floating her
colors, when completely ungov-
ernable, circling helplessly like
a quail shot through the head.
going down with all hands and
final message of defiance from
her commander. is as heroic as
any in naval history.
But don't let's forget Admiral
Cervera's hopeless Spanish fleet,
off Santiago, sinking almost to
the last ship under our superior
gunfire.
The discouraging development
is the apparent complete help
lessness of merchant ships as
compared with their naval
sisters.
There are so few details of
recent sinkings available, and
the news seems to be being so
fed out when and as il will
produce the greatest warlike
effect that il is dangerous TO do
any guessing.
But at this stage il appears
that the only safety for mer-
chantment is complete and
active naval protection.
THE idea of ar1ning merchant
Il vessels is distinctly debata-
BILE. II could do much more
harm than good. 1t looks as
though if a submarine or aerial
bomber got within range the
average commercial carrier is
through-whether she is armed
or not.
The authorities with the only
real information available per-
haps know best. but IL would
seem that more complete and
prompt disclosure Of some of
these sinkings would do more TO
condition public opinion than the
plece-meal and apparently timed
information that is given out.
For example. there has been
rumor around Washington for
several days that, in addition 10
the Bold Venture and the Lehigh,
a great Standard Oil tanker
the Walter c. Teagle-has
been sunk. II may be announced
before this piece appears.
There may be good reasons for
this reticence and also for black
ing out most of the information
OF what cargoes these ships are
carrying. why they were where
they were and how they hap
pened 10 be unprotected.
Less rather than more frank
ness is 10 be expected. We are
in this war to our outlets.
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