Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-24
A Lesson Leaned

n enced by in the present war to abandon the
ancient concept of supremacy in fighting power at sea
being determined solely by the sheer SIZE of ships
The first result according to Senators Ellender and
Brewster members of the Senate naval affairs committee
aho have disclosed this change in attitude, will be
abandonment Of plans for building so-called super
batteshps,
1t Will be recalled that the navy department, after
considerable and heated discussion of the matter many
months ago scheduled construction of five dreadnaughts
each exceeding 10000 tons-the largest craft afloat
NOV the navy department has decided against this
" program.
In fact. the new SS,5OOOOOOOO naval authorization
bill which mas just received the unanimous approval of
the House naval affairs committee does not include ANY
tonnage for battleships whatsoever.
This does not mean that the several capital ships
under construction and near completion will not be
finished These vessels will be launched and commissioned
in due time and far ahead of scheduled time, and will
confer undispued heavy ship supremacy upon the Amer
lean navy
But this has proved that heavy ships alone do
not constitute naval supremacy.
Therefore the navy department has wisely abandoned
its big ship program.
IT is going seek supremacy IN THE AIR where this
is being largely fought and where it will certainly
be won.
AS far surface ships concerned, it is going to
concentrate aircraft carriers and has included 100000
tons of construction in this category in the pending
authorizations bill, and is going to convert
designated number of partially cruisers to
aircraft carriers
THE navy finally has decided it must have more air
power protect present fleet said Senator Elender
This involves turning point in naval concepts of
battesps that has been debated since 1888 and before
said Senator Brewster "Whin the last months the
admiraIs have been getting and concerned"
THERE is bitter irony in this situation.
The events that have finally convinced the navy
department and that have caused the admirals to be
more and more concerned not unforeseen
unprecedented events.
Billy" Mitchell sank battleshps with arplanes many
years ago, and Inundated and actually cashered out
the of his country in which he had spent his
life and which meant to him than life itself for say
ing the next war would be fought in the air and the
nations best prepared in military aviation would win it
and the nations weakest in that respect would lose and
have their cities devastated and their populations slaugh
tered
Nearly three years ago, when superbattleships of
60 to so thousands proposed Admiral Harold
r. Stark then chief of naval operations argued against
"he disposition to go to the fantastic lengths proposed
At that time, Chairman Vnson of the House
naval affairs committee warned that to put so huge
part of the whole naval appropriation in
ship would be to put all your eggs In one basket"
ND the Hearst newspapers, noting the PROVED
n superiority of air power unwedy surface craft
in the early phases of the European war; commented
editorially on Jan. 2, 1910:
ut would be an utter absurdity to build still bigger
and cOstlier and more useless battleships
There is need for guesswork with instruments of
national defense particularly i'm the naval establishment
The present European provides great proving
ground for naval warfare makes very clear the types
of craft and weapons which the most useful well
those which prevailing methods of warfare render
either obsolete idle
The American navy is to be commended for reading
its present lessons RIGHT, although the hour indeed
late
lOAkY DOAkS By FULLER