NAVAL ARMAMENTS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 December 1927, Page 5

NAVAL ARMAMENTS

SEVENTV-ONE VESSELS.

AMERICA’S PROGRAMME

PRESENTED TO CONGRESS. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT Received 10 a.in. to-day. WASHINGTON, Dec. 4. Mr Wilbur, Secretary to the Navy Department, has transmitted to Congress a naval building programme providing for 71 new vessels costing nearly 5C0.000,000 dollars. It is accompanied by a letter stating: “This programme is not in conflict with the financial programme of the President.’’ A Bill embodying the programme wais introduced immediately by Representative Butler, chairman of the House Naval Affaire Committee.

The programme provides for 25 li.ghl cruisers, nine destroyer leaders, 32 submarines and five aircraft- carriers. No time limit as provided for construction, but under the terms of the Bill the construction of the light cruisers and aircraft carriers is subject- to the Washington Treaty. The President- is empowered in the Bill to suspend the programme wholly or partly at his discretion.

SUPER-SUBMARINE. INCLUDED IN FRENCH PROGRAMME. LONDON, Dec. 13. A Paris message -states that France has begun the construction of the largest, and most- powerful (Submarine in the world. It exceeds by hundreds ol tons any undersea •craft now being built. The submarine is capable of going halfway a crass the Atlantic submerged will carry 160 men and be able to fightsurface vessels, lay mines and attack battkV-hips at long range. A British United Press message states that the construction of tins craft is the outcome of the failure oi L*ve Geneva conference. France’s naval strength at present is slightly inferior to Italy’s. BIGGEST PROGRAMME SINCE 1916 Received 10.55 a.m. to-day. WASHINGTON, Dec. 14. Mr Wilbur explained that the estimated cost was merely speculative, but be submitted- a schedule totalling 7.20,000,000 dollars. Mr Butler said the cost would be between 700,000,000 and 800,000,000. Tinestimates were as follows: Light cruisers 17,000,000 dollars each, destroyer; leaders 5,000,000 -each, submarines 5.000,000 each, aircraft carriers 19,000,000 each. This was the 'largest navy programme submitted since 1916. Simultaneously the Secretary for the Navy, Mr Warner, who is in charge of aviation, told the Hou.se Naval Affairs Committee that additional legislation by Congress will be necessary before contracts can be negotiated for the two dirigibles authorised last ses sion, because the only bid received is higher than the sum fixed by Congress, which is four millions.

THE! AMERICAN PROGRAMME

NOT YET APPROVED- BY PRESIDENT. PORTION OF A TWENTY YEARS’ SCHEME. NEW YORK, Dec. 13. The Washington correspondent ol the New Yio-rk “Times” says that President Coolidgo stated that he had not yet -finally approved the naval programme. This was received with tin utmost -surprise by those members oi Congress who bad gained the distinc impression that the draft programme shown them yesterday represented tin President’s views.

It is understood the programme was modified to-day as the result of protests by members of Congress against such heavy naval expenditures, and tin reported refusal of President Cowlidge to approve authorisation of four battleships. The modifications would eliminate the latter and slightly reduce thi estimated cost of airplane carriers, but. as agreed upon to-day and sent to the Budget Bureau for approval, the programme contemplates final expenditures of approximately one billion dollars for five years, the building co«i of which would he distributed over mine years.

This programme provided that tht construction shall all be started within nine years, and is, moreover, only part of 29 years’ .scheme, details of whin' are closely guarded, lc is designed for the replacements and such additions to the fleet as naval developments and national policy require. The piibli.ca.tion of the details of the billion dollars’ scheme not only aroused immediate •antagonism among the socalled pacifists, but impressed big navy men as involving the expenditure of too much money in so short a period. Mr Butler, commenting on the batth'slii.p feature, said: “How can we tell now that the United States and Britain will not agree by 1932. that 14 battleships will he sufficient instead of IS provided for in the present treaty.” Representative French. Chairman of the naval sub-committee of the Appropriations Committee, expressed tluview that the programme “is out ol line with the present and prospective needs of the Navy.” 'He was doubtful whether Congress would make the appropriations for cruiser construction in addition to the eight 10,000 ton cruisers now under wav.

* AMERICAN PRESS COMMENT

W ASH TNG TON, Doc. 14

The “Now York Times” in an editorial deprecates the likelihood of the approval by the General Boapd of the navy programme, and says it is the intention of the administration to include a, clause providing that in the case of an agreement by treaty to reduce naval armaments the new ships voted need not bo constructed. The President, by this means, in the event of another naval conference being .summoned, would have in hi; hands material with which to bargain. This was not the case at Geneva, las.; spring. The American delegates ask: other nations to make sacrifices, but they had only trifling ones of their own to offer. Even with a modest buildim programme .approved by Congress the President would next time he in a better position to negotiate. Till-* “New York World” says: “One may well ask what new threat to the security of the nation explains or justifies the greatest of war programmes

in time of peace. The programme is a repudiation of President Cbolidge’s own position, iv blow to economy and a defeat for moderation ; r.t- is a victory fo; logtnu; it is the irony q-f Preskkrv Coclidge’s attempt to help disarm the would that larger expenditure for ship* was proposed in a •single building programme, and :is now recommended than ill any other administration.” The Chicago Tribune” says tlir a newer is that “the United States will build according io its judgment of its needs.”

I) | S AST RO UK MI SH A N.DI A N ( 1. VISCOUNT GREY’S COMMENT Received 10.35 a.m. to-day. LONDON, Dec. II “There has been a most disastrous mishandling of the whole Anglo-Ameri-can naval problem.” said Viscount Grey at. Newcastle. “If Britain during the disarmament cm i I ere lire had only taai J. ‘We want .small cruisers; we do not mini! how many ten thousand toiiners United States' builds,’ the conference would not have failed.