-
THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 2, 1941.
CHINA MAIL
--WINDSOR · HOUSE
STIRRING WORDS
We now have some days' perspective on what Mr. Churchill called "those
stirring, august and fate- ful Presidential words" by which America was pledged to a "total ef- fort" which will be con- tinued and increased "un- til total victory has been. won." If Mr. Roosevelt's speech had been merely| *Presidential words it would still have been a fine speech. It was more than that. The words have manifestly been ac- cepted as those of the people speaking through] the President.
"We, the people of the United States," have been heard the world over. From London the words
went out in thirty lan-
guages. Swiss newspapers carried the full text over the border into unoc- cupied France. In Tokyo, twenty-four hours after its delivery, the American message crowded Hitler's Sunday speech-the same old speech-into second place. In Belgrade, blow- ing hot and cold, four newspapers printed prac- tically all of what Pre- sident Roosevelt said.
The voice of America was not, and could not be, suppressed, even in Ger- many, Italy and the oc-| cupied countries. Hitler
Zater
WHO SAID WE WERE FRIENDS, ANYWAY?
(The "noises of" would serm to be the Axis raging that seizure of Axis ships in American waters will be regarded as an "unfriendly act.”)
The Battle Of The Atlantic
If Germany can cut off Britain's
was compelled to allude sea-borne supplies, it will serve to it, Gayda had to men- the Nazis better than an invasion. tion it. There
It is certain that Hitler would pre- could be fer to starve
England into sub- deal with United States aid by sending it to the But whether this type of
few adult Europeans who mission and did not now know that bottom. the United
even the
By
bases like Wilhelmshaven, Ham- burg, Bremen, Brest and Lorient have been attacked more than In meeting the threat to shipping at its source, the Admiralty has found the most effective complement to the pro- tective destroyer.
Max Gissen üfty times each.
The vast undersea and bomber States had campaign can succeed depends to a considerable extent an assem- committed itself to a de- on many factors.
bly job, which tends to lessen the offensive against shipping which from British the Nazis have promised for spring In the first place, Britain's ship- damage resulting
fears that United mocratic victory in this ping problem is much more acute bombing raids. The British ship- has aroused
are under con- States aid will be largely wasted Neither the war-a commitment over-and complicated than it was dur-yards, however,
ing the First World War. The Irish stant bombardment. Vital repairs through sinkings.
nor the most pes- whelmingly reaffirmed in
the and new construction proceed un- Admiralty bases are neutral, while
now der the greatest difficulties, and simistic American naval observers, the House of Representa- Italian, the Japanese and
French navies require the Admiralty admits that sinkings however, believe that Hitler can tives by passage of the attention of destroyers and have well outstripped replace-launch 800 submarines. Yet, from largest appropriation in cruisers that are needed for con-ments.
any standpoint, the British ship- voying and patrolling. With its It is now history.
possible to explain ping position is already critical,,
alarming rise in scattered destroyer strength now some of the startling ups and and the recent When the German roughly half of
what it was in downs on the shipping loss graph sinkings is evidence both of Brit- Minister in Belgrade con- 1018, Britain's navy has to combat Clearly, the most important fac-ain's problems in protecting her submarines, raiders and fast tor in keeping down sinkings has convoys and Germany's concer- ferred with the Yugoslav E-boats whose bases extend from been the destroyers. Until Fe-tration in the winter months-on Foreign Minister the com-the Arctic to Spain. That is an bruary of 1940, ·losses averaged preparing her great offensive, 1
Great hopes are placed on the almost impossible task in itself more than 40,000 tons a week. As mitment was in both But to the problems of convoying the convoy system was perfected, effectiveness of American long- bombers in seeking out men's minds. It was im and patrolling over a vast area, and as the French and British de-range
these have been plicit in the message given to submarines by recon-hunts, losses
there must now be added the aid stroyers began their persistent sub submarines, but
dropped until, in extremely slow in coming. which Hitler received naissance planes and the attacks April, they hit a low of 22,000 More practical, perhaps, are the came the British corvettes. These may be from President Ineunu of on shipping by long-range bomb-tons. Then, in May,
ers. Submarines signaled to by withdrawal from Dunkirk. Con- described as tough little sawed-off: which pre highly Turkey. It enters into spotter planes can take up at-voying and sub hunts were for destroyers
as...destroyers, mine-manoeuvrable and relatively cheap the interchanges between tack positions with small danger gotten
of detection and need not waste sweepers and even trawlers were to make,, Moscow and Belgrade and time prowling; their effectiveness brought into the Channel. Because For convoy purposes they can Moscow and Ankara. We is thus greatly increased. Against of this widespread disorganisation, take the place of destroyers and, can be sure that it is in our bases are defenceless ex-reached a high point for the wared to be more than a match for
bombers, -ships distant from Brit- sinking in the following weeks though not armoured, are expect the mind of Matsuoka. cept for weak anti-aircraft and During the last week of June subs. They are equipped with passed 100,000 tons depth charges, a powerful anti- The defenders of Singa- moths, ouses through bombing, Then came the reorganisation of submarine-gun, the very latest pore have heard the news are thought to have reached 25 the convoy system, and by August detection devices, and carry al New confidence came to per cent of the total tonnage sunk. losses had declined to 75,000 tons, complement of fifty or sixty men. Canadian yards will deliver Another Nazi advantage lies in At this point the Germans "begtin British troops attacking the wide dispersal of the plants to make full use of the French seventy in May. If they prove and will be Keren, to Greeks in front which manufacture submarine ports and for a time it seemed effective, they can
great quantities. of Tepeleni, to British sol- parte. U-boat making has become that the British navy, now with turned out in
out the services of the French de- But long-range bombers and cur- diers on transports going for him to say. It is not stroyers, must be swamped, as vettes are a gamble,
Right now every advantage in through the Aegean, to precisely mil. It has 130,- losses again reached 100,000 tons
the war against shipping lies-with RAF fliers over British 000,000 people and fabul-The British answer to the great the Nazis and there is no valid Cities, to British civilians ous resources behind it. string of German bases has de- reuson for believing that the ad-
veloped in the form of briliantly vantage can shift to Britain. as the air alarms sound. It is backed by a manu- planned bomber attacks. Inland The only effective, answers dre ed, to sailors in perilous facturing plant that is submarine parts factories have increased tonnage and more de- waters.
just getting into its new regularly. So are pair facilities, job to provide those answers, sinc A Berlin spokesman stride. It is fired by a de- drydocks and assembly plants Britain is already doing her tut may indeed say that the termination to see that Subs must spend three months is most. In 1918, under a programme port for every two months at ses, laid down only a few months be- value of American inter- what America serids to and the Bridsh Intelligence has fore, American yards turned out
been inusually accurate in in nearly as much new shipping vention is precisely nil." Britain does actually get rming Comber commands Britain had lost during this There was nothing else there.
their location. Great German subtire war
machine-gun
fire. In recent alone they
In September.
been discovered and are bidsted stroyers. It has become American's