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Evening Star, Issue 23834, 14 March 1941, Page 10

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UNITED STATES NAVAL PLANS.

WASHINGTON, March 13. Warning Congress to-day that the international situation may con-

tinue to .grow worse, the Navy High Command urged all possible haste in the completion of a twoocean navy because of the potential superior strength of the combined Axis licet. Colonel Knox told the House Appropiations Committee during his testimony on the Naval Supply Bill for the coming year that the German, Italian, and Japanese licet,s comprised 1,835,000 tons on January I, compared with the United Stae.s 1,230,000. The acquisition, of the French .fleet would further .swell the Axis strength. Colonel Knox said the major units under construction would not be completed till 1016. In the meantime the United States

was confronted, firstly, with the possible defeat of Britain, and, secondly, with the possibility that

Japan would become an active belligerent. It was obviously most desirable to prevent, these possibilities becoming realities. Admiral Stark. Chief of the Naval Staff, told the committee that requests undoubtedly would, be made in excess of the 3.359,000,000 -dollars sought in order to carry out the

huge naval expansion programme in the ensuing year. The committee was informed that the navy had developed equipment ,which detected the approach of enemy surface ships or aircraft iu time to use the information tactically. This alone would cost 50*,000,000, dollars for the existing fleet. The new

graving clock would take a 55,000,iou battleship, but the largest now in prospect were four 45,000-ton

battleships. By summer time the navy would have the largest com-

bat shipbuilding programme in the nation's history.