The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-10

Un to last Sunday, when Japanese attacked Hawai-, the debate on sur- face ships against airSnipS had gone ifi favor of surface ships in the battle of the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
 The situation was made more Sefi- oias because lack of knowledge of Japan's naval building. It has been Teported that Japan was building at |ease Ave battleShipS Of 10000 tons each and that two might be in com- mission.
 More important than the total loss oeA Allied ships would be the implica- ton of Japanese domination of tho western Pacifie-the ability to seize ola and metals and other vital pros duets from Malaya and the East Indies. Without these supplies, it was held here, Japan faces serious afnot fatal handicaps.
 The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse leaves Britain lS capital ships, not counting the 3S,oo0 ton Duke of York, Jellieoe and Beatty, which possibly are about to be put commission. They are the rerain- ing ships of, King George V class,
 YAn authoritative commentator ad- hitting that the sinking Of Prince of Wales and Repulse was Q very serious loss, said;
 N'This Is the heaviest single blow we have received throughout the war. Even Dunkirk was softened by the fact that we eXtricated the army"
 Battleshlp King George
 Berlin, Dec. 10-(UP)-The official Hs&ws agency said in Q Toyko dis- patch today that 1t was almost eer- tain" that Britain's new 35,000-ton hattleship King George V had been wunf.
 fThe official German agency re- pert that the King George had been sunk was received with considerable skepticism because the battleship is the same type as the Prince of Wales, which London acknowledged had been sunk of Malaya, It was suggested that the German dispatch had confused the two vessels, per- haps deliberately, In order to make the Japanese successes seem greater, There had been no indication that the King George was In the Far East.l
 The German DNB dispatch said Toyko officials stated with almost the greatest certainty" that the King George had been sunk
 U. $. Ofiiclal Shocked
 Washington, Dec. l0-tUP)-The sinking of the British battleship Prince of Wales and the battle crui- ser Repulse shocked American naval ollicials today who still were await ing details Of serious setback" to the United States fleet at Hawaii.
 There was no official comment but o1acials did not hide their concern.
 They said it was an example of the "bad news" President Roosevelt had warned last night the country must be prepared for. He said in his xndio address: We must share to- gether the bad news and the good news, the defeats and the victories ehe changing fortunes of war"
 srhe Navy department had no disgheAs on reports that a great mAval battle was in progress in the %@<iflc. The position of the Pacific md Asiatic fleets is 8 naval secret. The Pacific fleet steamed out of Eearl Harbor, Hawaii. last Sunday after the Japanese attack. The Asi- mtic fleet was believed to be at sea when the war with Japan started.
 The bad news came as naval ex- nerts here said the U. s. Navy has aeared it's operations to a world vide strategy plan in anticipation of an outbreak of formal hostilities with Germany. Plans were under stood to be completed for linking American, British. Dutch and other Allied naval forces into great com- hsnation of sea power
 The Prince of Wales and Repulse sfnkings tended to confirm belief hare that Japan's strategy would be tW trv to destroy as much of the A. llef Pacific naval forces as possible and disperse the rest of 1t, especially United States warships. over a wide area.
 Naval Losses Today
 fundated)--Prince of Wales and
 ulaa were the third and fourth
 xkins lnsA hy Great Britain