The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-13


 The President put the two ship building chiefs on the carpet to ascertain why there had been such a long delay in getting started on the large-scale program of fast patrol and other small anti-sub- marine boats for which Congress appropriated @ big sum many months ago.
 For military reasons, details re- regarding this program cannot be revealed. But it can be stated that only after more than 250 precious cargo vessels and tankers have been sunk off the Atlantic coast, has serious construction un- der this program got under way.
 Duing all this time, while the battle of the AtIrantic was being : so tragically lost, Navy brass hats were Stubbornly concen- trating vast resources of material and manpower on the construc- ton of battIeships and other massive vessels which can't pOs- sibIy be completed before 1944. PIT boats and other deadly small craft that would have helped to avert the Atlantic disaster were largely neglected by the battle ship-minded brasshats.
 What caused the President fin- ally to put the heat on the ad- mirals about this matter was 8 secret report made to him by Vice President Henry Wallace.
 As head of the Board of Econ omic Warfare Walalce is .vitally concerned with imports and ex- ports, especially to and from La- tin America. The disastrous ship ping losses have profoundly af- fected this trade and Wallace, greatly disturbed about the inter national repercussions, decided to make personal study of the situ- ation.
 His findings so shocked him that he sent them to the President. The report caused Roosevelt to blink too and to demand explana- tions from the admirals.
 WALLACE'S FINDINGS
 What they had to say Is known only to the President and to them, but here are some of Walalce's findings:
 I. Until the middle of April there was practically no protection for coastal shipping, although Sec- retary Knox and other Navy big wigs ha dissued cheery statements that the sub menace was being licked.
 2. That the construction of sub- chaSerS and patrol boats had been almost completely neglected, as was the use of fishing vessel and other small craft available in large numbers for patrol.
 3. That several score desper- ately needed tankers have been sunk in order to provide gasoline to be used for pleasure driving. In these sinkings, more than 600 sea- men lost their lives, in many cases under horrible circumstances.
 l. That certain shipping ex- ecutives holding key places in the Maritime commission were oper- ating on business-as-usual poli- icy, so that, despite the desperate need for war shipping, more ban anas were imported into the U. s. in the first quarter of this year than in the same period last year, and ships often were ordered to sail into waters known to be sub infested.
 5. That If sinIxings continue at their present rate, the United Na- .tions by Jan. 1, 1943S despite the vast U. s. shipbuilding program, will have 100000 tons less ship ping than at the first of this year.
 There was 6 lot more in the re- port along the same line. Wallace pulled no punches about either the Navy or the Maritime Com- mission the Presidents favorite pets. The vice president made 1t bluntly clear that he considered both guilty. Of bungling, incon- petence and business-as-usual- nindedness.
 His plain inference was that the