SUGGESTED NAVAL DEAL

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 142, 12 March 1941, Page 6

SUGGESTED NAVAL DEAL

The report of a proposed naval deal between Great Britain and the United States is said to have emanated from official circles at Washington, and the suggestion is that 40 American destroyers and 10 light cruisers should be exchanged temporarily for three British battleships. ' To the layman there may appear to be no difficulties in the way of such an arrangement, but the matter is one for the experts. The naval authorities of the two countries know the exact requirements for their respective purposes. If subsequent developments show that the plan is feasible there can be no doubt that an addition of 40 destroyers and 10 light cruisers to the British naval forces would be very welcome. The assault on the sea-power of the Mother Country is pending, and, as Mr. Bevin stated recently, it will be imperative to keep the sea-lanes open. The task has been made heavier by the defection of the French fleet, and the provision of protection for the convoys has placed a tremendous strain on the lighter craft in the British Navy. The destroyers already transferred from the United States to the British flag have all been placed in commission, but the need for further craft cannot be denied. The naval policies of the two countries have differed on the question of cruisers, the Americans favouring a heavier type than the British, who prefer the light cruiser for policing work, and the protection of the merchant marine. The mention of light cruisers in connexion with the proposed arrangement will lead many people to conclude that there is some substance of fact behind the report, for they are the type that would be of the greatest service at the present time. But it is not so easy to fit the British battleships into the picture. It may be contended that the preponderance of battleships possessed by Britain would not be threatened if an exchange were made, but there must be technical difficulties of no mean order, such as the provision of shells for the big guns. There is no standardization in these matters and each nation has its own peculiar designs. What may be more probable is that there might be a nominal exchange, with the American vessels placed at the service of the British Admiralty to meet the pressing needs of the position, and British battleships sent to bases on the other side of the Atlantic, or even to the Pacific, for the time being.