The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-02-06
English Navy Won't Give Up";;
Present u. S. Navy Strength -.

No matter what the civil government
might do, Skipper w. S. Meriwether, edror
of the Mississippi Sun, does not believe thar
il would be possible for the British navy to
ioin. its German foe in an attack on the
United States, in the event that England does
succumb. nT4 al
Skipper contends that with Anglo-Saxon
navy men blood is thicker than water as
old Captain Josiah Tattnall-Vlrginia porn
said as he climbed the side of a British
frigate battling for its life in the Far East
and sent his boat crew to man the British
guns whose crews had been killed.
Skipper, who is an authority on many
subjects but an especially good authority on
our navy and the navies of other countries
backs his statement with a little more IN
teresting notwithstanding and gives some
highly pertinent facts on the present strength
of the United States navy:
eve Of America remember the time when British
Admiral CHICHESTER i~nterposed his ships between the
arrogant German. squadron and Deweys in Manila
Bay; q plain intimation that if the Germans inter
ferred with Dewey, the British would 60 into action
sAnd well do the British remember the "fast
wing Of their battle fleet during the World War,
the five u. S. battleships. which SO conspicuously aid
ed the efforts Of the British navy.
$50 we cannot conceive Of the British navy sur
rendering to Hitler. But we can conceive OF it mob
Viking in Canadian ports and saying to Germany
come on" ,
(Which brings us around to another thing we
have in mind. the strength of our own strong right
arm. the u. S. Navy. We have before US q report from
the Navy Department which shows Is battleships
ready for action, II building; 5 aircraft carriers IN
commission, IL building; II heavy cruisers in service,
Is on the way; II light cruisers in commission, 80
- = --..- n 49,, n IN daQ~
troy, 2O7 coming along; 80 submarines on active
duty, 80 nearing completion, and submarine chasers,
patrol vessels to q total number Of ZIG combatant
vessels.
"Now, while an undefeated Britain still stands,
and its fleet is still supreme upon the seas, let US pose
this question:
"If Hitler cannot cross the narrow English
Channel and invade a nation of 100000 people
whose chief cities, ports and docks have been sub
jected to merciless, intensive bombing, how could ne
cross 5000 miles of ocean and successfully attack a
militant nation Of 1871 100000 particularly when the
home waters Of that nation swarm with submarines,
destroyers, cruisers, airplane carries, three OF those
brutal dreadnaughts and some 1000 army and navy
fighting planes ready to take off.
Moreover, as Admiral Mahan wrote in his ia
nous book 1.-The Influence Of Sea Power on History"
there is that pregnant sentence:
DISTANCE is ITSELF A FACTOR WHICH is
EQUIVALENT TO A STRONG DEFENSIVE
FLEET"
Within that last 60 days the Navy has taken over
nearly a score of the biggest and fastest of our
merchant steamships, converted them into transports,
and provisioned them-to save time in a quick get
away. That is just in case any foreign power at
tennis to get a foothold in the West Indies or
South America.
"But in these tragic times it is wisdom to keep
rushing our plans for defense. Better to be safe than
sorry