RAPID ARMING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24142, 8 December 1941, Page 7

RAPID ARMING

AMERICA'S FUTURE MAJOR OPERATIONS ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 6

The Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, in his report for the year ended June 30, 1941, said : "The United States must arm as rapidly as possible for major operations simultaneously in the Atlantic and the Pacific against any possible combination of Powers." Colenel Knox said the United States was already the world's greatest sea Power. He cited the commissioning of 325 ships, the acquisition of 2059 warplanes, and the increase of naval personnel by 16,264 officers and 113,962 men during the year, while 4,019,000,000 dollars had been made available for

the navy, of which 2,250,000,000 dollars had been spent. He estimated that 7,340,000,000 dollars would be available for the 1942 fiscal year.

The House of Representatives passed bv 309 votes to five and sent to the Senate a new 8,243,000,000-dollar defence appropriation bill for the purpose of financing the expansion of the army to 2,000,000 men, and containing huge lend-lease authorisations. The House defeated an isolationist attempt to strike from the defence appropriation a supplemental provision permitting the transfer to foreign countries of 500,000,000 dollars' worth of war equipment obtained by the United States armed forces since March. In a new move to increase naval enlistments, which have recently been substantially below the desired levels, the Navy Department to-day reduced the four-year period of service to two years. Under the new system recruits may sign for two, three or four years, but must remain in the service for the duration of the emergency. RATE OF RECRUITING SHARP INCREASE EXPECTED TANK DESTROYER BATTALIONS I WASHINGTON. Dec. 6 A sharp increase in the rate of selective service inductions is expected because of the army's announced plans for the expansion of the forces to 2,000,000 men. Shortly after the holidays the draft boards will be called on to provide recruits in larger numbers than hitherto. The Secretary of War, Mr. H. L. Stimson, announced that 52 new types of tank destroyer battalions will be formed soon to combat mechanised striking forces. Ton other battalions, all to be equipped with the latest types of self-propelled guns, will be formed as soon as sufficient manpower is available. Mr. Stimson also announced that the army had plans for training 10,000 bombardier navigators within a year to operate the army's secret bombsight and to navigate long-range bombers. It is reported from Philadelphia that the army has announced that the first heavy tank manufactured in the United States has been demonstrated at the Baldwin locomotive works. It weighs 55 tons, with 1400 horsepower, and was engaged in a sham battle with two medium and three light tanks. The tank lias been strenuously tested for several months and is now ready for mass production.