Evening star., 1943-05-23
Ships Are Needed
to Shorten War
BIZ OUen L. Scott.

1HlS COultry suddenly is waxing up TO
the fact that 1t has become the strongest
military power on earth. Yet, at the
same time, it discovers that this power
largely is immobilized at home.
1t is this situation that lies back of
the regular Roosevelt Churchill confer
ences and of growing impatience on
the part of American military officials
These officials see that the means now
are available with which to defeat both
Germany and Japan if only a way can
be found to translate those means into
action. Once American power actually
can be brought to bear the end of the
war will not be far away.
The problem, basically, still is one of
ships. 1t is a problem of transport for
| weapons and for men so that these
weapons and men can be in a position
from which to attack the enemy. That
| problem, in turn, depends in part for
| its solution upon willingness to divert
the use of ships from purposes not
strictly military to purposes that are
| strictly military. 1t depends in further
part upon success in reducing or elimi-
mating losses from submarines.
At the moment there is feeling Of
| Illustration on the part of American
military leaders. They find themselves
possessed of an immense, superbly
equipped and highly trained military
machine that can be used right now to
mere fraction of its full extent.
The Armys Air Forces provide one
example Those forces now number
about 100000 men. Their supply of
pilots is greater than any other nation
and those pilots have proved in combat
that they are the equal to, If not the
superior of, any others. The Air Forces
are supported by an industry that is
producing more airplanes than the in
dustry of all the rest of the world COM
shown themselves to be better than
those of Germany and Japan.
Yet, to date, the largest concentration
of American planes in action has been
400, including fighters, and the largest
four-motor bomber raid has involved
few if any more than $50 planes The
British have staged many 1,000-plane
raids, all four -motored bombers. Ameri-
can industry is turning out military air.
craft at rate of about $4,000 a year
and will produce as many as 100000
planes in 1943 If aavilable planes could
get into action, the war might not last
long.
Then there is the American Navy.
This Navy in ships, manpower and
proved ability in combat is far superior
to any other. American shipyards are
grinding out what almost amounts to a
new fleet year. Yet problems of sup
| ply. dependent upon merchant shipping,
continue to hamper the use of the Navy's
| full strength for the time being.
The story is even more significant in
the case of the new American Army.
This country Is going ahead with it's
plans to build mass Army. 1t is drain
ing the Nation of men in order to create
force of 100000 by the end of the
year, plus WAACS which may number
100000. The force, exclusive of the Air
Forces, will number more than 5000 900.
1t is an Army of greater size than any
in the world except the German and
Russian and is equipped more lavishly
than either of those armies.
After 18 months of war, only rela-
lively few American troops have been
in action. The Army has published the
figures of 2,70O,00o as the number Of
men it hopes to have overseas by the
end of 1943. That includes both the
ground and air forces. Chances are
that, owing to shipping total less than
this published total can be out of the
United States by the start of 1914.
The result OF all of this is that the
United States finds a large proportion
of its military and naval strength backed
up at home where it cannot be used to
get the war over with in the fastest pos
sible time.
In 18 months of war, this country has
developed an armament industry that is
able to produce prodigious amount of
military equipment. In that same period
it has modified and trained an i'm
portant part of its manpower. Now, to
get the war won, 1t still has to solve
the problem of moving men and equip
| ment to places where they can be brought
| into contact with Germans and Japanese
| on big scale. Once that problem is
| solved or even once the Germans and
| japanese think that 1t is solved, the war
| probably will not last very long.
There are several considerations that
| enter into decisions affecting the use
| that is to be made of American military
| strength.
| One of these considerations is the need
| to get the German war won in order to
| permit concentration of strength
against Japan. However, there are two
| views about what should be done to de-
| feat Germany The British incline to a
| policy of attrition, by bombing and
blockade and attack on the periphery Of
Europe, before any al-out invasion.
American opinion has inclined more to
an all-out assault at the earliest possible
moment. The British view has prevailed
in the past.
Another Of the considerations is the
need to prevent Japan from exploiting
her new empire prior to the time when
she can be attacked on a really large
scale. Again, the British have inclined
| to slower motion than have the Amer
| leans. Until recently their view of the