BRITISH NAVY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19212, 19 January 1928, Page 7

BRITISH NAVY.

BUILDING PROGRAMME REDUCED.

(BT CABLE—PBEOS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. AMD SUN CAULS.)

LONDON, January 17. The Government has decided, in reference to further cruiser construction, that, instead of laying down three 8000-tanners in 1928-29, only two will be laid down, saving £5,000,000. It is understood that, the Army Estimates save nearly £1,000,000.

AMERICA'S PROGRAMME.

ADMIRAL URGES INCREASE,

(AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

WASHINGTON, January 17,

Admiral . Hughes, Chief of Naval Operations, told the House Naval Affairs Committee to-day that a 25 per cent, increase was necessary in the Administration's new construction programme to provide the United States with an adequate navy. He .defined a reasonable navy as a fleet with a tair chance of doing something, and an adequate navy as one which had a sure chance of doing something. Asked ir it was the navy si thought to have the fleet equal to Britain s, Admiral Hughes declared that the navy did not wish for a competitive building progiamme, but that thought was the underlying idea. , Admiral Hughes said that in 1910 it was the policy of the United States to have a navy second to none, and he did not know that there had been any change in this policy.