Evening star., 1949-12-05
By David Laurence

speaking in disregard of the So
called "unification" laws Of tht
land. For his speech is about tht
most fortnight and well-balancee
statement of the needs OF tht
Navy that has yet been made.
Whereas Admiral Denfeld com.
planned that the Navy had MOI
been admitted to full and equa
partnership on the defense team
Admiral Sherman puts the case
for equality in no less vigorou:
terms but without accusation. HI
says:
ABILITY to control the seas anc
the airways which cross the sea:
is essential to our security. and tx
our struggle to prevent any hostile
power from so dominating all o1
Europe, Asia, and Africa as te
menace our survival. Our national
security requires that we maintain
a balanced team of fighting serv-
ices and you may be sure that the
Navy Is and will be vital element
tn the fighting team-a vital ne
cessity In our national life"
Excerpts From Speech.
Here are excerpts from the
speech which are Of the utmost
significance in spelling out the
future Of the Navy as Admiral
Sherman sees it:
1.-The aircraft carrier has be-
come the ship of the line, and the
battleship a supporting ship for
the carrier task group or for shore
bombardment.
For the foreseeable future the
fast carrier task force will be the
principal offensive striking ele-
ment in our heets-the core OF
their offensive power, available
to strike far from our own bases
and to cover and support the op-
erations Of other services. This
force gives US the power to move
wherever we choose against enemy
shores while denying the enemy
that same freedom Of operation
against us. This. force is essential
to all naval operations. =.
"Amphibious operations will
continue to play an important
part in the Navy Of the future.
There actually exist in the
world today two very powerful
navies with opposite and there
fore intensely conflicting missions.
That we have aircratt carriers
and the other naval power has
none, that we have q large
smphibious force and the other
naval power has only q collection
of small landing craft are unac-
ceptabls arguments for dimnu-
tion Of American feet strength.
That the other power has q sub
marine force larger than ours Is
a potent argument for the United
States to possess-not an equal
number Of submarines-but anti
submarine naval elements OF great
effectiveness. -.
I'VE must be prepared TO pre-
vent aircraft from denying us the
use of the seas. Our naval counter
measures. against both the SUD-
marine and the aircraft must
include striking them at their
bases as well as local defense
against them. -.
Weeds Are Outlined.
"Our anti-submarine task force
NAV thus include fast carriers IN
conjunction with surface and sub
marine Ruided-missile ships fol
ATTACKING bases. It might include
special raider amphibious units
for demolition Of bases. It Will
reo.,ire hunter-killer teams o.
submarines, surface ships. and
many types of airplanes ano
blimps. It will require powerful
convoy escorts and coastal defense
forces especially against sub
marines firing guided missiles into
our cities. ..
T sometimes regret that the
entire American public Is not
aware of the power for peace that
our Navy exerts as are the people
of Europe. The aircraft carriers
cruisers, destroyers and marines
which have operated IN the
Mediterranean during the past
three years have been essential
factors in the maintenance OF
peace and stability In the area
The Mediterranean people know
and appreciate our naval strength
Many Of our own people DO not
TT the American Navy is al
lowed to languish and deteriorate
It will largely be the fault Of US,
the articulate Navy. for not
presenting these facts and our
needs more convincingly."
Tho admiral closed with q plea
for cooperation with sister serv-
ices "as an integrated team" and
added: when our beliefs and
professional advice have been
Adequately presented-on any
Ieyel. Of command or RESPONSE
bility--it Is then our duty to carry
out tho decisions Of our superiors
without equivocation or evasion
This Is particularly necessary u
the case Of decisions by the civil
authorities In whom the ultimate
responsibility rests.
.-zl7 eve In the Navy must aid ane
support our sister services. ano
we have a right to expect them
to aid and support us in main
tanning the essential naval ele'
uents of the national defense"
Maybe the admiraps speech vii
put an end to those oft-recurrins
two-to-one votes against the
Navy in the Joint Chiefs Of Stah
II 10. his appointment as Chief O