AMERICAN NAVY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10475, 4 January 1928, Page 5

AMERICAN NAVY

BUILDING PROGRAMME MAY BE MODIFIED

PRUNING OF CRUISER AND SUB- ■ , ; MARINE ITEMS SECTION WANT MORE -BATTLE?-. - SHIPS

(United Press Assn.-Topyright.)" (Received Jan. 3, 7.10 p.m.) NEW! YORK, Jan. 2. The New York Times’. Washington correspondent says a Naval Building Bill, patterned after the programme submitted by Mr Wilbur, is now in the making and probably will bo ready for consideration by the House of Representatives in the middle of February. r , . • ... The recommendations “covering seventy-two vessels and an expenditure of 720,000,000 dollars will be modified in important particulars. The number of craft will be scaled down, with consequent ' reductions in the amount involved, and probably will include two modern salvage ships as the result of: the S 4 submarine .tragedy. The proviso empowering the President to suspend building “in the event,of an international conference on the limitation of armaments.”,; will be deleted according to leaders of the House Naval Affairs Committee. An effort will he made to lengthen the period of construction to. seven years in order to limit the annual expenditure to 100,000,000 dollars, believing that any larger sum is not warranted at this juncture. The sentiment in the Senate is said ‘to favor a programme approximately the one formulated by Mr William Wilbur, and support for that has. been gained by the statement that it is “not in conflict with the financial programme of tiie President.”

Opinions differ among authorities concerning the probable cost of the Wilbur programme. Leaders, in Congress believe the ultimate cost ol : seventy-one ships would exceed by at least 25 per cent, the estimate given. Members of- the House Committee declare emphatically that if the new fleet is authorised, .the Government should go ahead with the work and not limit its activities to the mere preparation of blue prints. It is Relieved the cruiser and. submarine items will be among those pruned. It is known that some leaders of the Kocalled navy bloc will offer amendments providing for battleships despite the Administration’s feeling that battleships at this time might lead to protests from other signatories to the Washington Treaty.