Evening star., 1942-03-17

of the circum- David Lawrence.
stances wherein a substantially su-
perior force inflicted heavy losses
on the ships of the United Nations,
but because the defeat has an espe-
cial meaning for the future.
The truth about what happened
in the Inflated battle is not yet
fully known here. 1t may turn out
that the japanese received much
more damage than they inflicted
and it is possible-only remotely
so, but nevertheless possible-that
some OF the ships which disappeared
In a smoke screen and were not seen
again may turn up at some isolated
island far from the scene of the
encounter.
But the essential fact to be borne
In mind is that the so-called Asiatic
Fleet which America had stationed
In Far Eastern waters has not been
wiped out and that most Of the
ships have joined other units OF the
feet in the Pacific. Likewise, 1t
should be noted that all plans for
war with Japan which have been
worked out on q theoretical basis
by the strategists for the last 10
years have assumed that the Asiatic
Fleet might be lost at the outset
Of war.
Never Enough Ships.
The reason for this is that the
United States Navy never had
enough ships to protect the Far
Eastern outposts of the United
States, Hawaii and the Eastern and
Western seacoasts Of Continental
America.
The United States Navy has to
fight with the weapons and ships
that 1t now has-and not with what
1t may have some day.
Admiral Yarnel, in letter to the
head Of the United States Naval
War College, copies of which were
sent to the Chief of Naval Opera
tions and to the chairman of the
General Board of the Navy on jan
uary 10, 1899, outlined the problems
of Far Eastern war and insisted
that it. should be undertaken only in
conjunction with Great Britain,
France and the Netherlands.
At. that time, France and America
we're at peace and arrangements to
use Indo- o-China, then controlled by
the Paris government, and other
colonial possessions might readily
have been made or, If not then,
perhaps after the war broke out in
September, 1899. Admiral Yarnell
wrote from Shanghai as commander
In chief of the Asiatic Fleet:
"In this war we will be dealing
with a first-class navy. Japanese
naval officers and enlisted men are
well trained and efficient. Their
ships are designed with the idea Of
giving them greater gunpower and
protection than that of similar for
eign vessels.
Navy well Balanced"
For the task assigned to them of
conducting a defensive campaign in
Fsr Eastern waters, their navy is
well balanced. They have large
numbers of destroyers, submarines,
minelayers, minesweepers, formid-
able air force and thousands Of aux
iliary vessels such as trawlers, land
ing boats. etc.
They are, of course, familiar with
the winds, currents, tides, shoals and
hazards, Of not only Far Eastern
waters in particular, but of the Pa
cific in general. Their training
cruises for midshipmen are long and
cover great areas. The officers of
our Navy are sadly deficient in their
knowledge of sea and cruising con-
ditions in this part Of the world.
I'm this war in the Far East I
would place as the first and primary
essential-command of the air.
This to be followed by submarines,
mIne-laying, cruiser operations end
other steps involved in a war Of
ettritio, Ts IL not about time