The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-01-09

Betileships More Than
Hold Their Own
Not Yet Displaced
BY Air Fighters
Wort Week and Truck
Speed May Go Up
See New Significance
In Wallace Speech
BY RAY TUCKER

battleship may come into its own
again on the seven seas. Recent
developments in the Pacific and
Mediterranean have cast doubt
on the prediction that aerial ex-
pansion would eliminate the
dresdnought as a fighting unit.
That theory got its start when
the Repulse and Prince Of Wales
were sent TO the bottom off
Singapore by Japanese bombers.
Our experience at Pearl Harbor
supported the argument that
battle wagons had become USE
less and obsolete. But in both
those engagements lack of land
or boat-based planes led to the
destruction of the vessels. 1t WAS
not because Of an inherent defect
in the big ships themselves.
The United States, profiting
from these tragic lessons. is now
turning out a capital ship which
has the speed of a cruiser, the
fire power and defensive strength
of a shore fertilization and plenty
of protection from its own quota
of flyers.
The next Congress will advance
numerous schemes for speeding
up production and delivery Of
American weapons to the various
fighting fronts. Although they
cannot give open encouragement,
high army and navy officers will
furnish detailed suggestions in
this hurry-up campaign. They
hope to force the administration
to get behind the program.
Number one proposal is a de-
mand for Legislation boosting the
New Deal work week from forty
TO forty-eight or more hours,
with no extra pay for overtime.
Federal statsticians figure that
such a move will increase output
at least twenty per cent. There
must also be complete alter
alton of the transportation sys-
TEN. and o. D. T. boss Joseph
B. Eastman Jr. may soon issue
the necessary commands. Mill
tary authorities have told him
that the velocity of trucks and
freight cars must be upped, even
if the government has to put
soldiers on them to prod engin-
GERS and drivers.
The face of the consumers
map also will be so changed that
il will not be recognizable. To
save gasoline, personnel and
costs, housewives will be obliged
to pool their food, clothing and
other orders. A customer will be
compelled to carry any package
weighing less than ten pounds,
whereas now the limit is five.
Although 1t may not be gener-
ally known or appreciated, Henry
Wallace's forecast of the United
Nations postwar plans for re-
construction and regenerating the
universe is one of the most signi-
ficant yet delivered by an Allied
statesman. His promise TO de-
stroy physical and mental want
in the world had the full approval
of the White House and Number
10 Downing Street.
Even insiders at the Capital
cannot understand why such a
good Samaritan sermon should
have been delivered by the Vice.
President rather than the Secre-
tary of State, who manages our
foreign policy. But the answer
TO that query Is obvious. Mr..
Hull must deal in . bread and
butter manner with our partners
and with neutrals. He cannot
make postarmistice commitments.
He is forced 10 conduct interna-
tional relations on an hour TO
hour basis. as President Roosevelt
has explained. He must accept
the aid of Dsrlan or a Franco
if he believes it will advance our
cause.
But the Iowa farmer can stand
up and crate. His address was q
trial balloon. He and the chief
executive are hoping by speeches
and articles Of this nature 70 con-
dition our minds for such particle
patton in world affairs as TO make
Woodrow Wilson's League Of
Nations seem like a kindergarten
party.
Wendell Willkie did one grand
deed on the foreign assignment
he undertook for himself and
President Roosevelt. He got new
and revised maps Of Russion
roads and railways
AS repeatedly set forth in this
column, Stain has been quite
uncooperstive ever since he joined
our side in the war on the Axis
in June 1871. He would not per-
nit military and industrial OBJ
servers 10 visit battle fronts or
factories. He said TO members Of
the famous Hopkins mission,
You Americans and British talk
too much about your war plans. 4"
But for some reason-snd this
is one Of the ironic anecdotes Of
the present GRAFTON the
Soviet chieftsin took a deep fancy
10 F. D. RS 1910 opponent and
former president Of the Common
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