Evening star., 1943-07-01
U. 5. Progress in War
Described as Miracle
By Secretary Knox
By the Associated Press,

HOLLYWOOD, July --latest
American successes In the South
Pacific constituted timely action to
fit the words Of Secretary of the
Navy Knox.
The war lords OF Toxic know not
where or when the next blow will
fall" he told War bond rally here
last night. He deviated briefly from
his speech to add:
'Tojo found that out this morning
Just before I took the rostrum I
was informed that other enemy
held islands have just been occupied
by the Navy and marines"
(Word had just been flashed
that the Trohriand, Woodlark.
Rendova and New Georgia Island
groups had been invaded by forces
under Gen. Douglas MacArthur.)
10000 In Audience.
Secretary Knox then told his audi
ence of 10000, assembled in Holly
wood Bowl for the opening Of a
bond campaign to finance a new
cruiser, the Los Angeles, that this
Nations progress in 18 months of
global war has been miraculous.
I'VE had one-ocean fleet to fight
naval war which spread over the
seven seas" he declared. I'VE had
a modest merchant marine, made
quate to transport overseas our ex-
ports in time of peace.
6IIJo nod hoo,,y, fo occov,,b1o
Army, and 1t was made up almost
entirely of unframed boys. hastily
summoned under the process of
selective service.
Our industry. the greatest peace
time industry in the world, lacked
the tools and the skills for produc-
ton Of war materials. We had less
than a half dozen shipyards COM
petent to build combatant ships.
"Contemplate that with our pres
ent posture.
Strongest Fleet in World.
Tn the short space Of year and
half, from December 7, 194l, despite
all our blunders and mistakes. we
have wrought a miracle. We have,
by far, the most powerful fleet in
the world in actual commission.
by the end of 1943 we shall have
increased that fleet, over the fleet of
1912, by 60 per cent in tonnage and
100 per cent in number.
I'VE have transformed our in
adequate peacetime merchant ma
rine into the greatest wartime mer-
chant fleet in all history, and we are
adding to that fleet, in spite of the
depreciation of enemy submarines,
by millions of tons.
I'VE have assembled an army Of
100000 men and they. now, are
trained And they have demon
strated their fighting power, and
proWess, on battlef1elds that stretch
from Guadalcanal to Attu in the
Pacific. to North Africa and the
Mediterranean, to the eastward"
OF the North Atlantic submarine
campaign, he said: That victory
is not yet won, but this much at
least I can tell you. The enemy
confidently expected, and we graveiy
feared, that ship losses in the early
months of this summer would equal,
If they did not exceed. those of any
like period since the war began.
June Record Incredible"
And then something happened.
Instead of mounting, ship losses de-
creased and decreased swiftly. June
shows score so good that it seems
incredible"
There is no branch OF the Axis
armed forces today-either to the
east or the west OF us-which cannot
testify to the growing power Of the
United States and the United Ma
tions," he declared.
These Nazi and italian forces
we're not able to cut or interrupt our
supply lines to Africa, and they will
not be able to halt the conmunica-
tions and supply lines which will
lead to other invasions on European
soil. 49,
Our forces in the Pacific, in all
categories. are steadily being
strengthened, and with very definite
ends in view. I can promise you
that the japanese will not have to
wait too long a time to learn about
Come of these decisions"