Evening star., 1941-04-13
Discusses U. S. Role
in War at Seq
BIZ ODen L. Scott.

person in the world was more convinced
that sea control would be decisive than
was President Roosevelt.
The problem of sea control involved
assurance of line of supply for Brit
ain and blockade for Germany. To
assure line of supply for Britain there
had to be either naval action to protect
existing merchant ships against subma-
rine and air attack, or program of
shipbuilding that could outdistance the
submarine and air sinkings.
Yet the United States has done and
is doing relatively little to solve the
problem in either field.
There is a pledge to give to Britain
every aid short of war. However, Amer
ican ships may not carry that aid to
England or even to Canada. Not only
that, there is no program of shipbuild-
ing large enough, or speedy enough to
supply Britain or Canada with the ships
they need to carry their own and Amer
lean war goods.
Shipbuilding programs have been an
nounced with great fanfare during the
past year. But the actual facts show
it will be 10 months before a single mer-
chant ship is completed for delivery to
Britain under the emergency shipbuild-
ing program. 1t will be nearly two years
before ships are turned out fast enough
to overcome the present rate of subma-
rine and air attack. BY that time there
may not be war
The mystery is heightened by a closer
look at the figures.
In the last war the United States
started by building 821, 900 tons Of Ship
ping in 1917. This total shot ahead to
2,502.000 tons in 1918 and then to $780,
900 tons in 1919, as the program mapped
in wartime reached its peak.
In the present war the United States
started by building I'll 900 tons in 1899.
This total rose to $4,000 tons in 1910.
The emergency program calls for total
construction of 2,541,0O0 tons during
1941 and ls42 and this two-year pro-
gram is being augmented by another 2l2
ships.
Ship sinkings Of late have averaged
about 100000 tons a week, or at rate
of 100000 tons year. Ships are be-
ing damaged and put out of use for vary
ing periods, at an undisclosed rate, but
it is reported to be high. Great Britain
is able to build requirements at rate
of no more than 100000 tons year, so
the problem falls into the lap of the
United States.
It is apparent from the figures that
the present situation cannot go on if
Great Britain is to maintain her posi-
ton at home and build up new front
in the Balkans that will require large
amounts of shipping to supply.
Thus, the choice open to the United
States is becoming clear.
Either the United States. pledged by
national policy to aid Britain, can start
out now to build ships at record-break-
ing speed in an effort to make up for
nearly two years of lost time. depending
meanwhile upon seizure of idle foreign
shipping in American ports and upon
sale of more American ships to Britain,
or it can start out to protect available
ships from submarines and aircraft so
there will be less need for emergency
construction of vast feet of ugly
duckling" merchant vessels to overcome
the submarine menace by their num-
bers alone.
If the second choice is taken, the
mystery of the delay in merchant ship
building will be cleared up.
The reason is it then will be appar-
ent this country's decision is to see that
ships are not destroyed in unusual
numbers. Mr.. Roosevelt may have made
that decision long ago. If made, it
would rest upon the premise that there
is little to be gained by building ships
and filling them with the products of
American mines, factories, forests and
farms only to have those products sent
to the bottom of the ocean.
But how is the problem of delivery to
be solved, except by outright war? With
war the United States Navy Immediately
would tilt the balance against the sub
marine and the air attacker.
The present problem really breaks
itself down into two parts, one part of
which is not difficult to solve.
This first, and easiest part, can be said
to be that of supplying a Balkan front.
Great Britain now has cleaned out most
Italian forces in the Red Sea area Once
that job is complete this area no longer
need be combat zone and American
nrc11of1f ching oy,to
happens, war goods from the United
States will move in American ships
around Africa, on a 120O0-mile jaunt to
the Red Sea and the eastern end of the
Mediterranean, where British ships can
take over in a sea area dominated by
their navy.
The second part is much more diff
cult. 1t concerns getting goods to Brit
ain herself.
An overworked British Navy is prov
ing unable to police all of the seas of
the world against German raiders. The
United States already has made it clear
that it intends to keep sea marauders
out of the waters of the Western Hemi-
sphere. Geographers, whose opinions
this Government accepts, say the hemi-
sphere in the north extends to a point
just west of Iceland. Within this area
an American neutrality patrol, COM
posed of the Atlantic Fleet, is operating
now. The governments and peoples of
the hemisphere have accepted the oper-
alton of this patrol.
X