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THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 13, 1947
CHINA MAIL
--WINDSOR HOUSE
POST-WAR PLANNING
WHITE
HOUSE
A nation passing from war to peace is exposed to two dangers. One is that the mere mass of the tasks of reorganisation | may be too much for its constructive capacity, worn and tired as it is by the strain of an arduo effort. The other is that concentrated exertion is! apt to be followed by re- action. The tension of: war is a stimuus In sense the ordinary man lives above and beyonc himself in an atmosphere' of duty and action; when: the tension is relaxru there is a certain nervous, weakening; the rigid dis-i cipline of the war be comes hateful to mind and memory; there is a strong disposition to re- turn to normal habits of life. Of this reactionary, temper there was a strik- ing illustration after the Napoleonic wars. In 1816 the House of Commons re- pealed the income tax, which Pitt had introduc- ed in 1799, and passed a resolution that all the re- cords should be destroy- ed. There were illustra- tions after the last war. A notable example was the Napole had his Continental fate of the inter-Allied or- his armies had conquered a great system włuch he organised after ganisations. In the aut-part of Europe and his diplomacy,
OF-
WAITING THE SIGNAL
PUBLIC OPINION!
LAND POWER versus SEA POWER
History is repeating itself in the present war. The great
can SO
had succeeded
By
Lord Strabolgi
theatre hausting
of War
for
.cope efficiently that only a com-
puratively small number of naval- ofleers of any nation ever become submarine captains of the Arst order. The work of every mem- ber of the crew is highly specialis- ed and at least two years inten- sive training is required for the key men in the crew, who num-
umn of 1918 the British backed by force,
in neutralising or bringing into Foreign Office urged that neture alliance the rest of the for some time after the fared by Britam only able to ex-
European Continent. He was then 'weakened by unrest and even ber about one-third of the com-
active revolt among the cotiquered, plement. conclusion of peace a nuc- creise sea power for a period. To peoples. When this uprising be-
Supposing, however, these dit- leus of international
day the German publicists speak came active enough in Spain,
Neufties
British overcome; are of their Continental system and Britain, by the use of sea power.
counter-measures ganisation should be re-taking as an example the success was able to send assistance and,
are increasing of diplomacy supported tained and that the mach- violence in the Balkans, declare army, and create a new and ex- programme of building anti-sub- by indeed, to build up a considerable in efficiency. An immense British inery of the blockade that sen power can be beaten,
marine warships had been em- should be superseded by a
Even if the supreme ordeal of France. The time is approaching barked on before the present war an attempted invasion of the when British armaments will have broke out and it was expanded system of international British Islands is economic control. During eves it
not accepted, reached such proportions that any and speeded up with the outbreak the German High Command" be- | revolting people which can be of hostilities. This programme Is bear fruit. Again, the post-war period this seaborne trade as to be able to receive considerable British help.
injure British communicated with by sea will beginning to
the expansion of the flying ser. vices available for the defence of organisation was to be force a decision.
The position of Britain vis-a-vis seaborne trade is very great. Very Considering for a moment the the German more or less conterminous experience of the past, the tune is stronger relatively than it was craft of improved
Continental system large numbers of long range air- officiency and in its membership with came when Napoleon's power was during the Napoleonic era be-speed are coming into service, the League of Nations.
cause the Colonies of those days
Very large figures have been' have now grown into great The French Foreign Office It is satisfactory, there-Dominions with
given for the production of new: large resources German submurines during re- approved. Unfortunately fore, to see that Lord and important engineering in-
The shipbuilding dustries, and because the whole cent months. the United States Govern- Reith has large and com- of the North American Continent yards in Germany or under Ger- ment, to the great disap- prehensive views, that the has been industrialised and de-mun control have a large capacity, pointment of Colonel Government is impressed of all kinds to the British Isles.
veloped and is giving great help and this is known with consider- The figure of 800 able accuracy. which has been given by some) House, replied, through by the character of the To what extent can the Ger-observers, is quile outside the Mr. Hoover, refusing not problem, that it is not mans and Italians hope to cut off capabilities of these shipbuilding this assistance from overseas by resources, It would be a very only to agree to these pro- afraid of bold plans for the use of submarines and raiding great achievement if even 200 new posed improvements but economic and administra-warships? There is no doubt that submarines, large and small, had also to continue colla- tive reform, that it is great efforts have been made in been completed
Germany particularly to build begun. boration with these inter- agreed on the necessity large numbers of submarines and As for the attack on commerce Allied bodies.
the German naval authorities have This de- for a central planning concentrated on a sutaller type of raiders, such as the damage done cision robbed the Peace authority. Lord Reith's under-water craft capable only of to a large convoy in Mid-Atlantic
heavy by the
German cruiser} sea voyages Hipper Conference of most neces-immediate arrangements, comparatively short
recently, we need not but nevertheless suitable for sary guidance and was too, are promising. He is operating from the
under-estimate the seriousness of French har-
Admiralty had one of the causes of the having the circumstances bours and reaching the Atlantic it The German
trade routes, particularly from building at the beginning of the tragical failure of the Lea- of three bombed towns Brest and the French ports in the war two battleships, the Bismarck gue of Nations. In both closely investigated, to Bay of Biscay. The difficulty will and the Tirpitz. These may have been completed and put into com- be to provide sufficient trained these cases there were no find what light they throw crews for this enlarged submarine mission by now. They are power- doubt powerful interests on his general problem.lotilla.
ful vessels, of high speed, and no Submarines were only hostile to reform, but He is making use of ex-after 1933 so that only about six the Atlantic by way of the Nor- built for the modern German Fleet doubt they could be sent out into wegian coast and thus hope to there was also the re-perience and intelligence years have been available for evade the British Home Fleet. bound of strong instincts drawn from different training the personnel.
While their fuel lasted, they could In the World War of 1914-18 prove a serious menace to convoys from a discipline accept- fields. His own energy is a Germany started with a large and in mid-ocean. This, again, is an ed under the pressure of guarantee that any task highly trained submarine flotilla example of history repeating danger. The ordinary that falls to his depart experience with this type of craft tween England and France in the and the German Fleet had had itself. During the long wars be- Englishman suspected the ment will be handled with for some 15 years.. Even so, sailing-ship era, the French tre- Government in 1816; the vigour. We must hope that emciently manning the German merce attack and used for the pur-
great 'difficulties were experienced quently ordinary American sus the same sense of urgency submarines in the last war purpose the largest warships of the pected Europe in 1918: As will inspire all the Minis-cularly during its later stages. day.
Several years of practice and ex- centrate the trade in very large soon as the war was over ters on whose initiative perience-are required to make a convoys-and-to-escort-these-with those suspicions governed these schemes apparently good submarine commander, The squadrons of battleships. Though
duties are so exacting and so much methods have changed, the prin their conduct.
skill is required to use a peris- ciples of strategy remain the same,
depend.
since the war
concentrated on" "com-
The answer was to con-