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Show America's Need of Big Merchant Ships i ' ACTUAL naval strength of , the United States In case, of war would be greatly Inferior to that of Great Britain, notwithstanding the American and British navies are placed on a practically equal basis by the naval treaty agreement, declared Senator Ranadell of Louisiana In a speech. Speaking on the naval disarmament treaty and the legislation designed to extend government aid to American shipping, Senator Ransdell, who Is president of the National Merchant Marine association, pointed eut that a navy, without adequate support from its national trade fleet, la practically prac-tically powerless. "There Is only one way for naval equality to be realized," he said, "and that Is for America to make material additions to Its commercial fleet Swift vessels of commerce, carrying both freight and passengers, having a speed In excess of 15 to 20 knots preferably 20 knots and over and from 10,000 to 15,000 tons are most effective ef-fective as auxiliaries to the navy In time of war." TIow Great Britain stands In relation rela-tion to the United States on the basis of such' ships Is shown In the following follow-ing table, adapted from figures presented pre-sented by Senator Ransdell, giving the number and tonnage of vessels of 10,-000 10,-000 gross tons and over, and having speeds of 12 to 20 knots and over: America Number, 44; tonnage, 884,247. Britain 140; tonnage, V 870.147. "In other words," Mr. Ransdell said, "Great Britain has about three times as many ships capable of being used as high-grade naval auxiliaries as the United States has." He pointed out -tflat If our commercial marine Is to remain at Its present level, so far as these fast ahtps are concerned, then Great Britain, with her large fleet of potential naval auxiliaries, would, beyond be-yond question, continue as she is today, to-day, very much more powerful oa the seas, even though our naval vessels our fighting ships are considered on terms of ertual parity. |