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Show Our Naval Strength Growing Americans oh-ould be encour-aig encour-aig 13 by evidence of increasing naval s'rengtfm. Our new warships war-ships are .gradually beginning to afifcct tihe strategy of the Japanese Japa-nese lViar 'ar.d tihis is important. As Raymond Clapper says, before be-fore we can hope to wage ef-tfective ef-tfective land campaigns we imiust regain superiority on 'the seas and ipossess bases vital to our supply routes. When tine Japanese attacked Pearl Hartbor, tine United S'tai'.es .was "building" a fleet mudh larger than its existing units. "Phis explains wfoiy Japan could ir.ot delay her 'effort. As df Pearl Harbor the TJmii-t:d TJmii-t:d Stat.es tad) 17 battleships, 7 carriers, 37 cruisers, 178 destroyers de-stroyers and 117 submarines.. Ws were "building" 15 battleships, battle-ships, 11 carrier 54 cruisers, 192 destroyers 'and 71 subt.-wair-ines. O'Jher i warships tave been added to this program. Losses admitted, up to May 7, included on.ly 2 'battleships, 1 cruiser, 8 destroyers and 3 submarin.es. Ilhe naval strength) of Japan was a imystery. The nine battleships bat-tleships of the disarmament ilrea-ty ilrea-ty were 'augmented, it is believed, believ-ed, by ifive o'Jh'ers. Im cruisers the Jaips were aihead of us but .we had more destroyers .and, posjibly, submarines. Ira carriers car-riers the Japanese stole a mairdh on the world) and surprising strength in thn category 'has been, a major iactor ini Japanese successes. suc-cesses. Thj steady expansion ot Japanese Japa-nese loffensives present iheavier respor.sibilties. Hhe Jap fleet imust guard Japan and safeguard safe-guard 'he sea routes to Australia Austra-lia and India, as well as protect i .land bases t hat stand as sentinels sen-tinels io ithe Pacific. |