U.S. CRUISER BILL APPROVED.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19545, 15 February 1929, Page 11

U.S. CRUISER BILL APPROVED.

SIXTEEN VESSELS.

AUTHORISED BY PRESIDENT. (r*n*» ritM aaaaaurro*—»* iu«iw TSLaaa*ra -cortusar , WASHINGTON, February U To-day, Proaident Coolidge e:gnfd the Fifteen Crniatr Bill, autboming tke cocitrurtioa of 15 cniiaer* of tbe IOjCtOO-ton, Sin (ob typ«, aad t>tt airplane carrier. All tbe reaaela are to be laid down before July lit, IMI. Tbe BUI wa> tiped witk little fere sconv, after the President bad conferred with Confraaaioaal laadera coDoarmiag wayt and mean* of pro*'idiaf Use »•<••• Mr;- 50,000,000 dollar* is JhU aad tbe aext fiscal year. There ia "little official eoaii&eat. but it ic indicated tbat all leadara ar« willing to co-operate with Praaidaat Coolidge "s wieb rigidly to bold dowv lagtalative approprialioaa in ®rd«r to pr©*idt for cruiser* coder tbe present Bodfot. Mr F. A. Brit tee, chairman of tbe Houee Narat Affair* Comi&itteie, ba* itstied a statement praiaiag Praaidaat G&olsdge for (igai&s tbe BUI, and as ktrting that tbe naral eon«tn»ction pro graiame adopted by "la a distinct menace to tbe balaat* of worldpower. '' Mr Britten also aaaertad tbat tba aee»pted principle* of tbe Waabiagton Confcrcece bad been riolated by aacb of it* Btfaatorias except tbe Unitad Stat«a, tbua laavlftg tbe Aaencaa Navy far behind tbe 5-5-3 ratio. Tbe tuteaeat added: "Tba President knows better tbaa aayont aIM that hi* Geneva Conference for tbe farther limitation of ship* of war faileu because oar represasutiva* would #* agree to limit our nary to tbe kiad of ship beat adapted for Britlab asaa."Aaatralian Prea* Associativa, United Serrice.