WORLD'S MOST FORMIDABLE FLEET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 144, 19 June 1940, Page 9

WORLD'S MOST FORMIDABLE FLEET.

VS. PROPOSALS.

Naval Committee Approves Of Plan. 70 PER CENT INCREASE. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 2.30 p.m.) WA SHIXG TON", June 18. Admiral Stark, Chief of Naval Operations, testifying before the House Xaval Committee, -which was considering the chairman, Mr. Carl Vinson's 23 per cent Naval Expansion Bill, recommended a 70 per cent increase in the United States' Fleet, at an estimated cost of 4,000,000,000 dollars.

The Committee voted 17 to 10 to adopt Admiral istark"s recommendation to alter the Vinson Bill, thus giving the United Statee the most formidable fleet in the world. The increase would give the United States a total fleet of 738 wa'rihips, adding about 200 new warships, the construction of which would be complete'! within five to seven veers. Admiral Stark said the Navy was asking the immediate appropriation of 175,000,000 dollars to start the programme. The Committee even went beyond Admiral Stark's recommendation for an additional 1,250,000 fighting tons, adding to that 75,000 tons for additional aircraft carriers, plus the authorisation for the President to have constructed at a cost of 25,000,000 dollars a torpedo patrol boat fleet. The Committee edded the requirement that no naval vessels-afloat or being built may lie sold, chartered or scrapped without Congressional approval. The Senate rejected by 4o votes to 33 an amendment to the National Defence Bill, framed to terminate future Treasury purchases of foreign silver, thus reversing its previous stand.