RUSSIA: Duckling

With the Red sweep in China, all the warm-water ports on China’s coast became available to the Soviet navy, and Russia became potentially a sea power in the Pacific. To turn the potential into reality, Russia has been building warships, especially submarines. U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Forrest P. Sherman recently listed Russia’s submarine strength at 270.

To emphasize its deep-water aspirations, Russia last week announced a step obviously calculated to give its seagoing arm a new feeling of confidence and importance, free it from the influences of the better-established army and air force. The navy was reconstituted as a separate arm, independent of the War Ministry (army and air force). Named as head of the new Navy Ministry was handsome Admiral Ivan S. Yumashev, former commander in chief of the Soviet fleet.