Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-18


General johnson are not neees-
sariy those of The Detroit
Times.)
BY HUGH \. JOHNSON
THIS is little more than a
huneh story but it is a bunch
based on good many circum-
stances all facing in the same
direction-the administrations
willingness TO compromise on
amendments on the lease-lend
bill that do not conflict with it
and its adamantine opposition to
any amendments that do.
Then there are the nature of
the military and naval problem
IN its present phase, the opinions
OF some naval officers and the
apparent determination of Mr..
Roosevelt TO defend the British
Empire wherever it is threat
ened.
The bunch is that very shortly
after that bill is passed, which
will certainly be about March /,
we shall see one of the most
startling switches of American
and British naval equipment ever
yet rumored or imagined.
WHAT is most needed to keep
w ocean lanes of supply open
10 beleagnered Britain and OPP
pose the German air and Subma-
rine blockade are destroyers,
cruisers and other light. swift
warcraft. What is most needed if
we are to challenge japanese sea
power in the west Pacific is bat
tieships.
These latter take a long time
to build and we are not too COM
fortably equipped in this cate
CORY as compared with Japan,
especially considering distance,
lack OF bases and tricky defeHs-
I'VE. naval terrain of the japanese
archipelago.
In fact, while there are some
cocky navalists. including the
President. who think our naval
fighting qualities so superior 10
those of Japan that they offset
much weight of hostile metal,
there are others who regard as
naval suicide our engagement in
sea war on the other side of the
Pacific when there is so much
uncertainty and danger in the
/ Atlantic.
J. TRADING some of our lighter
craft for just one British
battleship would not be very
thrifty thing to do. 1t would be
hard to fit it into a squadron
otherwise composed OF battle
ships OF American design, caliber
OF guns. fire-control and so forth.
But getting a whole squadron
OF British battle wagons could
be much more effective addi-
ton TO our naval strength if our
purpose is TO fight the Japanese
navy.
We are turning out some
honeys of deStroyers and doing
II ahead of time. The conversion
and modernization of our old de-
Stroyers is moving very rapidly
IN our own and British shipyards.
The British are not experience
ing the difficulty in manning our
light craft that we might have
IN manning theirs. With a r.
year enlistment, the average
British COB is an accomplished
all-around seaman.
But even with our difficulties.
this whole idea of wholesale
shifts is not SO Screwy. assum-
ing always that we have decided
TO gamble our position in the
Atlantic on the British manning
American ships and our going TO
tackle Japan in the Pacific with
Americans manning British
ships.
WHAT we are possibly facing
w here is British-American
pool of the fighting ships of both
navleS. In the leaSe-lend bill as
II now stands in the Senate.
there is no financial or other
limit whatever on the Presi-
dents power 10 make these
shifts, even to the whole of our
navy.
As the maritime commission
study revealed and as the re-
ported cost of the George V
emphasized, il costs us from two
to three times what II costs
Britain 10 build warship.
II these shifts are made on
the basis of American costs.
British battleship is worth sew
eTal American cruisers and in
such trade there would be no
exhaustion of the 81 300. 000.O 900
limit. We would be getting value
F for value.
Moreover. under that bill. the
/ President can trade and trade
back. We may have no political
Union Now. but when this bill
is passed VIC shall have naval
Union Now" and be in this war