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Show Americans Will Salute Their Mighty Sea Force, 'Spearhead of the Attack,' on Navy Day, October 21 mightiest navy of all time being created. Already it is immense, beyond be-yond the dreams of any nation, even the United States, until three years ago. Still it grows, day by day, week by week. More ships, more planes, more men, the navy demanded, and the American people have responded respond-ed without stint. In a report boldly revealing details de-tails previously considered tight secrets, se-crets, the United States navy flaunts its strength to the Axis, and particularly particu-larly to Japan. In three years, the report states, the total tonnage of all navy craft has risen from 1,875,000 tons in July, 1940, to more than 5.000,000 tons in July, 1943. The navy measurements are in displacement, displace-ment, not deadweight tonnage, which latter figure is more than twice as great as the displacement. Warships, meaning battleships, light and heavy cruisers, destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and carriers, have been increased from 383 in 1940 to 613 in the July, 1943, report, and new ships are being delivered de-livered every month. Some 313 new combatant ships have been added in three years, totaling 1,117,054 dis- first 18 months of the defense program. pro-gram. Combatant ships battleships, battle-ships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, de-stroyers, destroyer escorts and submarines sub-marines make up the largest part of the navy program, and the step-up step-up in their production has been especially sharp. The tonnage of combatant ships completed in the first six months of 1943 is more than 20 times the tonnage completed during dur-ing the first six months of the defense de-fense program." To make this astonishing output more graphic the report states that in July of 1940, the navy received five newly finished vessels, while in June, 1943, the number was almost 1,200 of various classes. An even more remarkable multiplication multi-plication has taken place in airplanes. air-planes. From 25 aircraft delivered in June, 1940, the figure leaped to 2,000 by June of 1943. The report states that airplane production for naval use has grown faster than any other branch of the aircraft industry. indus-try. In the 36-month period, the report says, the navy has obtained 15,567 planes built under its own contracts, s Tonnage of Warships And Auxiliaries Is Doubled Since 1940 By ELLIOTT PINE Released by Western Newspaper Union. This year, as every year for the past twenty-two, the nation pauses briefly to salute the navy, the marine corps and the coast guard on Navy day, October 27, for that is the birthdate of Theodore Roosevelt Roose-velt who sired the beginnings of our modern navy. And it was the late President who backed up his word by donating donat-ing part of his Nobel Peace award to the Navy League and its program. The Navy League is now a nationwide nation-wide organization with a vice president presi-dent lor every state in the Union and the District of Columbia. Its new honorary president is Governor Charles Edison, former secretary of the navy. Its president is Commodore Commo-dore Sheldon Clark, Chicago business busi-ness man. Under a directive issued by Frank Knox, secretary of the navy, all commands of the navy department de-partment are directed to co-operate with the Navy League in this annual an-nual observance on October 27. Thus, Navy day, while having the official sanction of the Kavy department, depart-ment, is actually a civilian endeavor, en-deavor, a civilian salute to our far-flung far-flung fleet and shore establishments and the men and women who make them function. This is exactly what Theodore Roosevelt had in mind when he declared de-clared in that letter 40 years ago: "For the building and maintaining in proper shape of the American navy, we must rely upon nothing but the broad far-sighted patriotism of our people as a whole; and it is of great importance that there should be some means by which this patriotism patri-otism can find an effective utterance. Your society offers just the means needed." The Navy League is thus seen, also, as not of the character of just another emergency organization, or "war baby" designed to function only under the duress of conflict. It is a permanent gathering of citizens who pay homage not alone to the dead heroes but to the living and growing organization of ships, and planes, and men of the United States navy. Its purpose is one of patriotic education, and its membership fees are nominal for it is a non-profit orgnni.ation. ' This year the official slogan of the league on the occasion of Navy day is "Your Navy Spearhead of Victory." Vic-tory." This is in contrast to the old traditional slogan of "First Line of Defense." And it is also in contrast with the 1042 slogan which read: "Your Navy First Line of Attack." - -if ) I ' ' . ; ,' ' .- &', - l . " V : :- --::. " '." , r ; Commodore bhcldnn Clark, president presi-dent of navy league These sharply contrasting slogans tell a changing story of a navy under un-der changing conditions and the final slogan suggests the promise of victory. vic-tory. The question is raised, does the league and its patriotic membership cease to be a robust booster for the navy at the cessation of hostilities? Officials of the league say, no, that that is when the real work of the league must begin anew. Perhaps, tile peace slogan on a Navy day yet to come will be at once a grim reminder and a solemn warning that the men and implements imple-ments of the navy must not again be relegated to the shelves of com- I plaeency over our national security. j In that event the slogan may well read: "Your Navy , . . Comes First in Wr- and in Peace." 'Spearhead' Is liig and Sharp. But this year, in the midst of the greatest war ever to sweep this troubled earth, the slogan "Spenr-hcad "Spenr-hcad of Victory" is eminently flt- ! ting. And what a "spearhead"! The |