U.S. AIR ARMADA OF 35,000 MACHINES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 164, 12 July 1940, Page 7

U.S. AIR ARMADA OF 35,000 MACHINES.

HUGE PROGRAMME.

Delivery Of 25,000 'Planes In Two Years. MILLIONS FOR, THE NAVY. I United Press Association.—Copyright. i (Received 1 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 11. President Roosevelt's defence commission announced that contracts were being negotiated for the delivery of 25,000 aeroplanes within two years.

Since July 1, 100,000,000 dollars' worth, of orders have been placed. With the completion of the programme the United States would have 35,000 'planes.

The House of Representatives accepted the Senate's amendments to the 4,000,000,000 dollars Fleet Expansion Bill, which will now be sent to the Whit« House for President Roosevelt's signature.

The chairman of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee, Senator D. I. Walsh, estimated that the entire naval expansion, including ships being built, would cost about 10,000,000,000 dollars, giving 35 battleships, 20 aircraft carriers, 88 cruisers, 378 destroyers and 180 submarines, under the long-range programme, which will be completed in 1940 or 1947.

The measure does not contain money for carrying out the programme. It merely authorises future appropriations and funds for starting, contained in President Roosevelt's request for an additional 4,848.000,000 dollars, as cash appropriation and contract authorisations.