Show BRITAIN BRITAIN GIRDS GIRDS BIRDS FOR WAR AT SEA LONDON March 5 A. WV-A. A. V. V Alexander first lord of the ad admiralty admiralty admiralty ad- ad told commons Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednes Wednes- day Britain needs many more ships and great numbers of men mento to fight the triple German menace menace menace men men- ace of submarines range long-range bombers and surface raiders in inthe inthe inthe the battle of the Atlantic now opening But to a members member's question as asto asto asto to whether Britain had told America what we require even more ur urgently than airplanes and money is ships and still more ships he was silent The 50 American destroyers transferred to the British navy last year already have done good work he told the house Alexander made his remarks in asking for a token appropriation tion of pounds about Continued on Pe Two I f Column Five Jol I BRIT BRITAIN AIN GIRDS FOR WAR AT SEA Continued from Page pase One The house agreed without a record record record rec rec- ord vote Although this would be the amount on the appropriation bill it t authorizes the admiralty to spend huge huge luge sums the exact amount of which would be kept secret Never in the history of our sea need of power ower have we had such hundreds of ships and men Alexander Alexander Alexander Alex Alex- ander said To reinforce the fleet I ask unhesitatingly unhesitatingly un- un hesitatingly for many more ships for great numbers of men and for great quantities of stores to equip them hem hemIn In facing the battle of the Atlantic Atlantic At- At lantic antic now opening we need every ounce of our workers' workers energy and ever increasing production He assured commons that the thereat I great reat body of the fleet of August 1939 remains intact and said ships coming into service in 1941 would of themselves make up a formidable formidable formidable able force judged by almost any other naval powers power's standards He warned however that by gaining French bases the German Cerman erman submarines are now close to to their Atlantic hunting grounds and German German German Ger Ger- man aircraft are enabled to prey upon our convoys far out at sea Lauds U. U S. S Destroyers The 50 American destroyers handed over to us in the hour of greatest need helped meet the submarine menace Alexander said Some have already delivered attacks on enemy submarines and others in the course of their escort duties have borne their part in inthe inthe inthe the rescue of seamen he as- as asserted as as- Of the bomber menace to shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping Alexander saidI said I can give this assurance assurance- that counter measures to this new form of attack are being developed though I know the house will not expect me to reveal what they are are areA A few minutes later he told a aircraft aircraft aircraft air air- cheering house that American craft are now in service with the fleet air arm and many more are yet to come During the course of the year vear we shall receive from America Americ a great reinforcement of ordnance and stores which will go goto goto goto to swell the fighting power of our fleet Boasts In reviewing the naval operations operations operations opera opera- Alexander credited British submarines with sinking something something something some thing like enemy warships and supply ships He conceded that on one or two occasions a raider has encountered a convoy with inferior protection and has inflicted relatively heavy loss loss i |