The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-01-08

: Clapper
United States Beats
Word Record in Ships
kadins -Four . Day
Nov; Five . Dsy Soon
NJ Germany Builds New
Sub Every Ofher Day
And ons Sub Cen Sink
Many Ships

And Ons Sub Can Sink
Many Ships
~ RAYMOND CLAPPER
WAs1TNGroN-our promise
now y to build five ships a day.
beginning in Nay. No one would
believe such . fantastic promise
szcspt for the spectacular fact
that Ne are now building four
ships . day. That has never been
done before By anybody. any
where.
We have learned to stop doubt
lnG the impossible. More than
A000. 900 tons Of shipping have
been built In the last year--de-
hvered into service. There were
946 ships delivered. That is in
addition to naval construction
and . considerable volume of
small vsssela
Ship construction In one of the
bsst indications Of the pace of
the United Nations offensive. Our
progress from here on depends
On expansion Of shipping capac-
tty. The men and the equipment
are coming out of the training
camps and out of the factories
In adequate volume. The diff
Guilty 10 in transporting them TO
the fronts. That makes 1e4s i'm
portant on the shipways. The
axis never expected that we
could get on the offensive so
quickly. Germany and Japan
thought IT would take US until
1ezl and that they would have
1DlS clear in which to complete
and consolidate their campaign
of conquest that went swishing
through Europe and East Asia
from 1899 until early 1912.
The axis thought the subma-
rine would choke us off and
leave the United Nations isolated
from each other and subject to
being picked off one by one, even
after the United States went
into the war. The axis was not
% far off in its calculations. II
would have bean correct except
lor the phenomenal shipbuilding
success Of the allies. and particu-
larly Of the United States.
Only our swift pace of ship
building has enabled us to re-
place submarine losses which
otherwise would have been fatal
~ large.
Nobody thinks the submarine
can b eliminated. Germany is
building them In large numbers.
probably at q rate Of better than
one every two days. So, unless
we mink = German submarine
every other day, the enemy sub
marine strength IL increasing.
Submarines are batter craft than
they were once. They dive
deepsr. remain submerged long
or, have . longer cruising radius
and use more accurate instru-
ments.
The submarine has been fairly
well driven from the American
aide. Our shipbuiiding Is In ex-
cess Of our losses. 80 maritime
officials say. That probably is
not true Of the United Nations as
. whole. The submarine menace.
- far as the whole allied side is
concerned. ID still grave. It has
shifted to the other side of the
ocean We win continue to have
4 against our supply line TO
North Africa. AS Admiral Land.
chairman Of thu maritime COM
mission. says. the submarine is
Hike the common cold. There
viii nsver Be a cure. but you can
ret on top Of IT and lick it.
The answer. in so far as there
= one. lies in q combination of
convoy protection, more escort
vessels, improved instruments,
more use Of patrol aircraft, and
especially training of crews in
anti-submarine work.
The outlook for shipbuilding Is
thoroughly reassuring Materials
are allocated for $4,000. 900 tons
Of construction in 1e43. Our
yards have capacity for 40
o00. 900 tons. Manpower il the
most serious difficulty now in
general cargo shipbuiiding. lr
escort vessels and other specia
craft there ARE tight conditions
for some of the accessories. but
nothing insurmountable is il
prospect
II Is seif-deceptive to dwell on
this magnificent shipbuilding feat
and not also keep In mind that 8
considerable part Of IL is simpl,
treadmill racing. The ships ar,
built, loaded. and then sent out
20 sea to be sunk. We lose no
only the ship but the cargo. on
which distant military operations
may be waiting. and we lose per
haps some Of the crew, which hal
been trained and which steadil,
becomes more difficult 10 10
plaza
II Is hard for q layman Il
nndnpgtand the secrecy that sup
pponsos tbs facts about subms
rine Losses. ! have asked . mum
Der a experts and have neve
heard . convincing reason wh,