Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-30
THAT sounds encouraging but
then comes the bad news.


THAT sounds encouraging but
then comes the bad news.
Deducting tonnage unavailable
for cargoes for military, naval
or other reasons the general
cargo-carrying capacity is 49,
100000 tons.
The necessity for using longer
lines such as that around Africa
instead of that through the
Mediterranean, and for various
diversions to avoid sinking, slows
normal time of turnaround
tround-trip VOYAGE by half.
leaving the effective tonnage for
supply 6500,0O0.
Add the damage 10 ports,
slowing stevedore and dockage
service. and the time of dam
aged ships in impaired dock
yards for repair. and you get
about 100000 effective tons.
THE present effective rate of
sinking is about 5000 600
tons a year. and Of new con-
Struction in both this country
and Britain, about 1000, 00c
tons.
The British rate OF production
may and probably will 60 dewn
by reason of aerial bombing
Ours may-and Should-go up
by reason Of adding ship-ways
but. unless this picture enjoys
revolutionary Improvement it is
plainly appalling.
Starting with 100000 tons.
adding ~ 100000 a year but
losing 100000 is a lot worse
than what seemed the hand
writing on the wall in April,
1917.
In the first quarter OF 1917
submarines destroyed 100000
tons of Allied shipping. The
worlds combined output of new
shipping was replacing le-T than
a quarter of the loss. Britain
had less than 100000 tons
available for ocean transport.
THEN. Congress appropriated
L So. 700. 100000 for shipping
construction alone. We en-
barked on a program Of con-
structing 100000 gross tons
and expanded our shipbulldlng
capacity 10 times in 10 months.
We started with pa shipwayS
and at the armlstice had l.O99
shipways-a potential shipbuild-
ing capacity equivalent to that
of all the rest of the world COM
hined.
That plus the throttling of
the submarine through new de-
vices and a new convoy system
and other measures saved the
day. We are moving on no such
schedule today and the initial
condition is worse.
As the Time analysis points
out. undersea attack is not even
the principal commerce de-
stroyer. The tally of sinking
reads: Submarine 80 per cent,
aircraft % per cent, mines p
per cent. warships fsurface) 3
per cent, unaccounted 8 per
cent.
Is THE Time analysis eXagger-
L ated? The rumor and UNI
quotable dope around Washing
ton indicates that ii is the
reverSe-an underStatement.
II figures only an average OF
100000 tons of wounded ships
laid up in shipyards for repairs.
with acknowledged outright
sinkings running at the rate OF
5000. 900 tons year, this seems
very low anu OuI ONi sup
wards are terribly overcrowded
for this work by a building pro-
gram beyond their capacity.
while those in Britain are ter
riblv impaired by bombings.
This country should demand
TO know the exact truth about
this situation and to know IL
right now. At present. public
opinion is cropping in a black
vacuum of controlling facts.
slightly tainted by odoriferouS
epithetS if also highly perfumed
with brave words. towering aspi-
rations and noble sentiments.
The latter are courageous and
commendable but all we have at
stake in reliance on possibly
laundering action is an adequate
defense of the life. liberty and
property OF the whole American
people.
We have right IN know the
facts and this administration
has A duty 10 reveal them.
Distributed nv King Features synd4 Inc.
Reproduction In whole NJ N part