Some idea of the immensity of the British war effort during the past twelve months is to be found in the declaration by Sir Victor War-render, Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, to the effect that during the year ending March 31, 1941, Great Britain will have completed no fewer than 480 large and small warships, or five times ay many as in any year since Britain commenced her policy of naval rearmament, If the figures of the British naval strength of 1939 are taken into account, allowing for what had been built in that and subsequent years, the British Navy must by now have a strength of about 900 vessels of all classes, in all probabHity the largest navy in the world. What is remarkable about the number of vessels completed during the past year is the fact that this has been carried out despite the attentions of the enemy air raiders. The conclusion to be drawn. is that if the Germans had concentrated upon proper military objectives, such as naval dockyards and shipbuilding works, the probabilities are that such an enormous "amount of construction would never have been completed. It is well known that they did not, but sacrificed whatever military advantage was to be gained by adhering to the recognized canons of lawful warfare in an attempt to strike a psychological blow at British moral which they conceived might end the war quicker than by paying attention 1o Britain's war production. The result has been a complete failure on the part of the German air arm to produce any results save the destruction of, for the main part. non-military objectives, and the slaying of thousands of non-combatants. As a result the British Navy immeasurably superior in strength now than it was when hostilities commenced. That is why it has been possible to maintain adequate forces in the Mediterranean, and to make dispositions in other parts of the world as a result of the successful action which the Navy and its air-arm took at Taranto. It also explains why the remnants of the Italian and German fleets remain cosily behind mine fields and under the protection of shore batteries. It also proves that, when the British policy of disarmament failed of its purpose in persuading other nations to follow suit, the Government took a wise decision to reverse its attitude and again resort to accelerated building. It was only by the maintenance of the nation's shipbuilding resources on a normal peacetime that the rapid expansion necessitated by advent of war became possible. Such skilled workers as shipwrights are not trained overnight, and the fact that, in addition to this very substantial increase in British naval strength, the construction of mercantile vessels is also proceeding apace clearly proves that the enemy have not yet been able to interfere greatly with Britain's industrial processes, and that claims made to the effect that they have not been badly damaged by German air-raids are in the main true. It is just as well to bear these facts in mind when considering the fantastic claims that the enemy puts forward after practically every one of his raids, ete. According to the tales he has been putting forth with sedulous care, the British Navy has long ceased to exist. Far from that being the case it has more than doubled its strength in the last two years a fact which is making itself felt all over the world.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.